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To mark the 151st birth anniversary celebrations of Mahatma Gandhi in true Gandhian spirit, Yuva Unstoppable and HDFC Securities kicked off a campaign supported by Sangram Singh Foundation to serve thousands of poor and needy with love and food. As a part thereof, they will be distributing wholesome and nutritious ration kits to about 3000 student families across Maharashtra, ultimately benefitting more than 15000 less served individuals. Before the outbreak of COVID-19, these students used to go to government schools transformed by Yuva Unstoppable, a non-profit founded by Amitabh Shah.
The campaign was flagged off with ration kit distribution event in Mumbai and a virtual discussion with top philanthropists on nutrition, health, and education. Mr Bharat Shah (Chairman, HDFC Securities), Dr. Deepa Malik (Padma Shri, Khel Ratna, Arjuna Awardee, and President, Paralympic Committee of India), Sangram Singh (two-time Commonwealth Wrestling Champion, actor, motivational speaker, philanthropist, and health guru) along with leaders from top corporates and organisations like HDFC Bank, 3M, Kedaara Capital Investment, Adani, Gates Foundation, Exide, ADP, Indigo, WNS Foundation and many more were some of the esteemed speakers.
Expressing his gratitude for the initiative, Sachin Gavali, principal of one of the municipal schools in Mumbai said: “This is one of the best examples of serving the society. Not only has Yuva Unstoppable changed the face of my entire school but also supported our students and their communities in overcoming the biggest challenge of lockdown – access to food. Thank you so much.”
A mother of a 7th grader, one of the beneficiaries receiving the kit was deeply moved by the initiative. “We are a family of four. My daughter is suffering from vision impairment and epilepsy. My husband is the sole breadwinner of the family. He lost his job after lockdown. I can’t thank Yuva Unstoppable enough for providing this ration kit when it was most needed.”
Dr. Deepa Malik, a lady who has continually risen above all odds and who is an inspiration for many, also appreciated the initiative. She said: “Annadaan is Mahadaan (donation of food is the biggest donation in kind). Kudos to Yuva Unstoppable for feeding and providing better educational opportunities to so many underprivileged students. I am proud to be associated with this beautiful platform with so many like corporate heads and top philanthropists. We are now people of gratitude.”
Sangram Singh, Yuva Unstoppable’s one of the most ardent partners in change said: “I am extremely grateful to Dr. Deepa Malik for gracing the occasion today and sharing with us some wonderful words of wisdom on nutrition and health for all. Change is a part of life and it is only natural to embrace it if we want to keep up with the changing times.”
Yuva Unstoppable has created upgraded WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) facilities and Google Future Classrooms in many schools across India to equip the municipal school going students with better learning opportunities. During the ongoing pandemic, the organization stepped forward once again to serve the students supported by them and their families with ration kits. Each kit weighed around 30kg and consisted of basic daily essentials like wheat flour, rice, oil, pulses, spices, and much more to help survive a family of 4-5 members for 2-3 months.
Sharing his vision behind the initiative, Amitabh Shah, founder and Chief Inspiration Officer of Yuva Unstoppable shared: “If there is a happy stomach, only then there will be a happy life. We at Yuva Unstoppable realised this at the very beginning of the pandemic. It inspired us to go beyond our school transformation work to provide nutrition for better health and wellbeing of municipal school children and their families. Thank you all for joining us in our mission. As my wife Rashmi Amitabh Shah says, smiles and help are two such perfumes that the more you sprinkle them on others, the more fragrant you will be yourself. I am especially grateful to Sangram Singh and Dr. Deepa Malik for their generous support and contribution.”