'Where is your promise': 'Don't Waste Food' initiative architect Malleshwar Rao reminds Anand Mahindra of his pledge

Hyderabad: Four years on. Hyderabad techie Malleshwar Rao known for his `Don't Waste Food’ initiative has not received any promised assistance from Anand Mahindra, Chairperson of Mahindra & Mahindra.

In 2020, Anand Mahindra praised Malleshwar Rao, a Hyderabad techie known for his "Don't Waste Food" initiative. “I will not complain about 2020 being a difficult year after having seen this. Malleshwar Rao, I salute you & will support you. Life isn’t difficult when you remove the difficulties of others...,” Mahindra had tweeted.

However, despite Mahindra’s endorsement, Rao has not received any support from him. Rao has made several attempts to reach out to Mahindra for assistance but has encountered silence.

“Anand Mahindra, I am trying hard to reach you, I don't know how you have twisted that you will support our service (sic),” Rao tweeted.

Speaking to NewsMeter Malleshwar Rao said, “Despite Anand Mahindra’s public pledge of support, we have yet to receive any assistance. We continue to struggle with limited resources while trying to expand our efforts to feed more people. It’s disheartening when promises of support remain unfulfilled, especially when every bit of help could make a significant difference in our mission.”

Rao also reached out with a specific request: “During the lockdown, the public supported by giving their vehicles for transportation of food. However, we are now struggling. We are using bikes. We are not able to serve food to more people. For this, we seek your support in transporting food from hotels or functions to people and it would be very helpful if you can provide a food carrier to transport the food.” read another tweet.

Background

Malleshwar Rao began the "Don't Waste Food" initiative in 2011 while pursuing his BTech. His work, initially inspired by observing food wastage at catering events where he worked part-time, aims to repurpose surplus food for the underprivileged. Rao, who himself faced financial difficulties, enlisted the help of volunteers and has been able to feed about 2,000 people daily.

In addition to his food distribution efforts, Rao is involved with "Konnect Hope," an organization focused on educational and health-related activities, including distributing sanitary pads and promoting school attendance in slum areas.

Rao’s initiative continues to be a vital support system for many underprivileged individuals in Hyderabad. Despite Mahindra’s public pledge of support, Rao has yet to receive any tangible assistance, leaving his team to manage operations with limited resources.

“Even though the promised support remains unfulfilled I will keep asking for it. I will persevere with my mission despite these challenges” Rao concludes.