Socially responsible ventures make the world a better place. Nilay Agarwal, an ontologist by profession, too had this in mind when he started his NGO ‘Vishalakshi Foundation’. Now, he runs two projects under this – ‘Project Hunger’ to feed the poor, and ‘Dream School’ to educate the deprived.
What inspired Nilay to launch Vishalakshi Foundation?
Channeliam delves into that story in today’s segment.
Nilay always wanted to give back to society. However, it was the untimely demise of one of his friends that propelled him into action. In 2019, his friend was about to have her wedding. Unfortunately, she passed away in an accident. This episode taught Nilay the brevity of life, urging him to make his dream a reality soon. Hence, he started the NGO Vishalakshi Foundation, which is named after his friend, in Lucknow.
He was really shocked to learn that about 7,000 people die in India out of hunger, and about 20 crore people sleep on an empty stomach every day. He started the initiative ‘Project Hunger’ for distributing food to the needy with the help of a local NGO. Later, when he posted about the initiative on social media, it brought so many responses from different quarters.
Although people mocked him initially, he went ahead with the project. Gradually, help began to pour in. In its tenure, the foundation could feed over six lakh people in 11 cities, viz, Delhi, Lucknow, Gurugram, Noida, Ranchi, Mumbai, Jaipur, Amroha, Fatehpur, Banda, and Prayagraj, with the help of over 3,000 young volunteers.
Nilay does not give leftover food. He makes sure that the food is hygienic before distributing it. Although the covid-19 pandemic posed challenges to the distribution network, Nilay managed to work within his capacity. During the first wave, he distributed 25,000 packets of ration. In 2020, Nilay was recognised by the Governor of Uttar Pradesh, Anandiben Patel for his widespread efforts in helping the community throughout the pandemic.
While distributing food, Nilay also realised that the children in slums lack education. In July 2020, he started ‘Project Dream’ School to fix that gap through free education. It is being implemented in slums in several cities like Delhi, Noida, Gurugram, Banda, Lucknow, Amroha, and Fatehpur.
