Our Mission in Rishikesh

35.000 large bags of basics foods and 87.000 free meals given to the poor so far

About Us

Our team consist of numerous volunteers and salaried employees, including cooks, teachers, cleaning staff, and tech support experts, who are working in the various wings of our project.

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Every donation you do goes to our many wings of our project. You can read all about them in our site.

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about us

The Feeding Rishikesh Team

Our team consists of numerous volunteers and salaried employees, including cooks, teachers, cleaning staff, and tech support experts, who are working in the various wings of our project.

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The Founders

Varun Juneja

The story of the Feeding Rishikesh project begins with Varun Juneja, a UK-educated economist from the Punjab who has now dedicated his life to service of the poor in India. On March 22, 2020, when the first Covid lockdown was announced, Varun foresaw the suffering this would create for the poor, and prayed to Mother Ganga, “Please let no one go hungry in Rishikesh!” He made the necessary arrangements to provide meals for the poor each day. A small group of volunteers from India and around the world helped him put the food into foil containers and distribute them to those in need.

Tarini Ma Dagnino

At the same time, Tarini Ma Dagnino, a woman from Venezuela, came to Rishikesh when the 2020 lockdown was imposed, and found herself stranded there. Soon she became aware of the plight of the poor, who had lost their only income and could no longer afford to feed their children. Someone told her about Varun, and seeing the work he was doing, she felt inspired to join him, and together they created the project called “Anapurna Seva Project” known in social media as “Feeding Rishikesh"

Ram Das Batchelder

Of course, to keep the project going they needed to raise money. So Tarini’s husband, Ram Das Batchelder, a writer from the USA who lives in South India, began posting the photos and videos she sent him asking his friends for donations. Money flowed in at a steady rate, enabling the project to expand from an emergency lockdown project into a permanent help for the poorest communities of Rishikesh, i.e., Mayakund, Chandreswar Nagar, Chandrabhaga and Triveni Ghat, where most people with low income live.

We believe in a World where everyone can be fed, and where men and woman are given equal opportunities

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