Local NGO Vidya Dham Samiti&#39;s food bank helps households facing seasonal hunger

Local NGO Vidya Dham Samiti's food bank helps households facing seasonal hunger

By Bharat Dogra
Jarva Chauki is a village in Atarra rural area of Banda District (Uttar Pradesh). Several households face a livelihood crisis here and at times lack the minimum food stock needed to keep away hunger. These problems increased after the pandemic related distress.
To try to ensure that no one remains hungry, a local voluntary organization Vidya Dham Samiti has started a food bank here. As Farida, one of the women who manage this food bank says, “Now any household facing a crisis situation here can ensure that no one in the family will go hungry. Nor will they have to borrow money at a very high rate of interest. They can take wheat from here and return it later.”
A food bank is one of the most effective and low-cost means of reducing hunger, particularly seasonal hunger, a means of reducing hunger which costs very little to start and maintain relative to its great usefulness. In various communities affected by hunger, one common problem often faced is that there are certain lean seasons when the problem of hunger is particularly acute. During these difficult periods people are often forced to borrow at a high rate of interest which creates longer-term indebtedness problems.
A food bank offers a way out of this forced indebtedness. For a typical small community a grain storage tank of a capacity of 5 quintals of wheat and 5 quintals of wheat can be purchased for about Indian Rs. 15,000 or INR 15000 or, if we add a few misc. expenses of transport or sudden rise of price etc., about INR 17000. A small local committee of responsible members can be formed to guide the functioning of the food bank. Any needy member of the community can take a certain amount of grain at a time for a certain period of time by approaching the committee. In a small community such needs are well-recognized.
At the time of returning, several borrowers are happy to return a little in excess, say 12 kg. instead of the 10 kg. borrowed-- hence on this account the stock grows. However some borrowers are genuinely unable to return. They can be given a waiver. Hence what is not returned is hopefully balanced by what is returned a little in excess willingly.
However in very difficult times, such as a serious drought situation in a village, it is possible that several borrowers are unable to return and their number goes up. At such times more grain can be added to the food bank to maintain its capacity.
Depending on the size of the community served we can have just a 2 quintal food bank or a bigger 10 quintal food bank. Its budget will increase or decrease accordingly.
In addition to a cereal like wheat or rice, the food bank can also offer pulses on a similar pattern. A 5 quintal wheat bank can be accompanied by a one quintal pulse bank.
This is a low-cost means of reducing hunger in a village or a slum and any compassionate citizen or group of citizens can get involved with this easy and cost-effective way of reducing hunger. They can start this initiative in their own area. If they do not have any previous experience of such work or adequate contacts among weaker sections, then it will be better to start this work through some voluntary organization or trade union or other such agency that has the necessary experience for this. Any such organization in your area whose honesty you trust will be able to help you in initiating such an effort in a settlement where this is really needed.
However in case you do not have such contacts and will still like to help in starting a food bank, then you can contact this writer at bharatdogra1956@gmail.com and he will help you in getting in touch with persons who can initiate a food bank with follow-up work as well. Please do not send any money to this writer for this; his role is only to help you in getting touch with people who can take this further.
---
The writer is Honorary Convener, Campaign to Save Earth Now. His recent books include “Planet in Peril”, “Man over Machine” and “Protecting Earth for Children”. Photo at the top shows food grain being distributed from a food bank in a village of Banda district (UP)

Comments

Modi’s Israel visit strengthened Pakistan’s hand in US–Iran truce: Ex-Indian diplomat

By Jag Jivan M. K. Bhadrakumar , a career diplomat with three decades of service in postings across the former Soviet Union, Pakistan, Iran, Afghanistan, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Germany, and Turkey, has warned that the current truce in the US–Iran war is “fragile and ridden with contradictions.” Writing in his blog India Punchline , Bhadrakumar argues that while Pakistan has emerged as a surprising broker of dialogue, the durability of the ceasefire remains uncertain.

Incarceration of Prof Saibaba 'revives' the question: What is crime, who is criminal?

By Kunal Pant* In 2016, a Supreme Court Judge asked the state of Maharashtra, “Do you want to extract a pound of flesh?” The statement was directed against the state for contesting the bail plea of Delhi University Professor GN Saibaba. Saibaba was arrested in 2014, a justification for which was to prevent him from committing what the police called “anti-national activities.”

Why Indo-Pak relations have been on 'knife’s edge' , hostilities may remain for long

By Utkarsh Bajpai* The past few decades have seen strides being made in all aspects of life – from sticks and stones to weaponry. The extreme case of this phenomenon has been nuclear weapons. The menace caused by nuclear weapons in the past is unforgettable. Images of Hiroshima and Nagasaki from 1945 come to mind, after the United States dropped two atomic bombs on the cities.

Manufacturing, services: India's low-skill, middle-skill labour remains underemployed

By Francis Kuriakose* The Indian economy was in a state of deceleration well before Covid-19 made its impact in early 2020. This can be inferred from the declining trends of four important macroeconomic variables that indicate the health of the economy in the last quarter of 2019.

Food security? Gujarat govt puts more than 5 lakh ration cards in the 'silent' category

By Pankti Jog* A new statistical report uploaded by the Gujarat government on the national food security portal shows that ensuring food security for the marginalized community is still not a priority of the state. The statistical report, uploaded on December 24, highlights many weaknesses in implementing the National Food Security Act (NFSA) in state.

The soundtrack of resistance: How 'Sada Sada Ya Nabi' is fueling the Iran war

By Syed Ali Mujtaba* The Persian track “ Sada Sada Ya Nabi ye ” by Hossein Sotoodeh has taken the world by storm. This viral media has cut across linguistic barriers to achieve cult status, reaching over 10 million views. The electrifying music and passionate rendition by the Iranian singer have resonated across the globe, particularly as the high-intensity military conflict involving Iran entered its second month in March 2026.

Lata Mangeshkar, a Dalit from Devdasi family, 'refused to sing a song' about Ambedkar

By Pramod Ranjan* An artist is known and respected for her art. But she is equally, or even more so known and respected for her social concerns. An artist's social concerns or in other words, her worldview, give a direction and purpose to her art. History remembers only such artists whose social concerns are deep, reasoned and of durable importance. Lata Mangeshkar (28 September 1929 – 6 February 2022) was a celebrated playback singer of the Hindi film industry. She was the uncrowned queen of Indian music for over seven decades. Her popularity was unmatched. Her songs were heard and admired not only in India but also in Pakistan, Bangladesh and many other South Asian countries. In this article, we will focus on her social concerns. Lata lived for 92 long years. Music ran in her blood. Her father also belonged to the world of music. Her two sisters, Asha Bhonsle and Usha Mangeshkar, are well-known singers. Lata might have been born in Indore but the blood of a famous Devdasi family...

'Batteries now cheap enough for solar to meet India's 90% demand': Expert quotes Ember study

By A Representative Shankar Sharma, Power & Climate Policy Analyst, has urged India’s top policymakers to reconsider the financial and ecological implications of the country’s energy transition strategy in light of recent global developments. In a letter dated April 10, 2026, addressed to the Union Ministers of Finance, Power, New & Renewable Energy, Environment, Forest & Climate Change, and the Vice Chair of NITI Aayog, with a copy to the Prime Minister, Sharma highlighted concerns over India’s ambitious plans for coal gasification and the Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR).

Health Day ads spark row as NAPi targets Britannia campaign, criticizes celebrity endorsement

By A Representative The advocacy group Nutrition Advocacy in Public Interest (NAPi) has raised concerns over what it describes as misleading advertising of ultra-processed food products (UPFs), particularly those high in sugar, fat and salt, calling for stricter regulations and an end to such promotions across media platforms.

Search This Blog