“One day, I visited a family living in a pathetic condition, where I stumbled upon a heart-wrenching scene. A little boy, grappling with hunger for several days, sat beside his bedridden mother in the absence of his deceased father. With no one to provide for them, the boy sat there in tears. Unable to bear witness to such suffering, I took the child into my lap and fed him some rice. I could see gratitude in his innocent eyes, even though he couldn’t convey it.” - Anita Devi

 Anita Devi is fondly called Chachi by the simple people of Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh. And it is not only because she is a respectable elderly woman, but also because her kitchen, Chachi ki Rasoi, is a lifeline to  450-500 impoverished and helpless children every day. The meals are simple and wholesome - consisting of dal, vegetables and rice. Additionally, in the tribal regions, whenever an elderly or pregnant woman faces challenges, they turn to her for assistance, finding solace in her unwavering support and guidance.

‘I grew up in poverty, I know what hunger feels like’

Uttar Pradesh's Sonbhadra district is inhabited with people struggling to arrange for two square meals a day. In this poverty struck, hilly district of Uttar Pradesh malnourishment and hunger is a very common thing. Anita Devi’s childhood was no different.

“We did not have much money at home growing up. Some days there was food, some days there wasn’t. From my childhood, I learnt to value food and its importance. So today, I make sure to cook and distribute the food myself. I will end hunger in my district one day - that’s my dream.” - Anita Devi.

She feeds these children by risking her own life

The children that Anita Devi feeds are those who are forced to work as stone cutters, brick-kiln workers, etc solely due to poverty. Whatever income she has, Anita makes sure to spend on these children. She lives in a mud house and owns few possessions - one being an old car that she uses to venture to the summit of a mountain, navigating through the challenging terrain of Sonbhadra, situated in the south-eastern ranges of the Vindhyachal mountain.

“My vehicle frequently breaks down on the steep slopes of the mountain. The risk to my life intensifies in such moments, as a stalled car during a climb poses a serious threat to my safety. But that is not a concern. I just want to make sure that these children are well-fed or they may resort to stealing and other criminal activities.” - Anita Devi

‘I want to feed all the poor children and end malnutrition in my area’

As of now, Anita Devi’s mobile kitchen Chachi ki Rasoi caters to over 5 lakh poor children in the area. She aims to reach 2 lakh more in the coming days. She strongly believes that nutrition is every child’s birthright and wants to do anything to make that a reality. The cost of preparing one thali amounts to approximately 25 rupees, leading to daily expenses of nearly 12,000 rupees that she cannot afford.

“My husband passed away recently. I lacked the financial resources to save him. But that did not stop me from doing my ‘seva’ to these children. They depend on me. They believe that I will never fail them. And I won’t. But I lack the funds to fulfill my responsibility towards them. Please help me get rations and necessary items to run my kitchen. Please.”- Anita Devi.

Help Anita to continue her mission in feeding impoverished children. Click here to contribute.