CHENNAI: In English folktales, Robin Hood steals from the rich and distributes the money/ provisions among the needy and poor. Being a thief made him no less a hero. Perhaps, it was this idea (taking from a place of excess and giving to people in need, not thievery) that gave birth to the Robin Hood Army (RHA) in 2015. That and the fact that the cities in India witnessed a tremendous amount of food waste. “The idea was to collect excess food from parties and events, and distribute it to the hungry.
What started with just four people in New Delhi, the Army now has members in 900+ cities across the world,” says Mumtaz Hazarika, a Robin (volunteer) with the Army. August 15 is a special date for the zerofunded organisation. It was on India’s 69th Independence Day in 2015 that the group of robins spread their wings and soared into the sky with their first special project — to feed 5,000 people. After this accomplishment, their target kept getting bigger every year.
The fifth year of this project will mark another milestone. The team spread across the world has pledged to feed 30 million people in 2020. Even with the pandemic in place, the Robins have decided to tweak the idea and go ahead with the plan, Mission 30M. “The feat is usually accomplished on Indian Independence Day. But this year, we have made it a 45-day programme — from July 1 to August 15.
The core principle is to feed the hungry and we will be doing exactly that,” says Mumtaz. The activities began in Chennai as per schedule even as the intense lockdown was in effect. Though it did dampen the spirit a bit, in two weeks the team has already provided food to 1,200 to 1,300 people.
“We are a zero-funded organisation, which means that we do not collect cash but take help only in kind. If we get donors who wish to donate only cash, then we direct them to vendors who are supporting us with the necessary items. As part of this marathon, Mission 30M, Akshaya Patra was our first donor. We have some individual sponsors too. Though the drive has not picked up pace in Chennai, we are positive that it will in the coming days,” she says. The 250-plus Robins in the city had been working day in and day out during the four lockdowns and the two sub-lockdowns here.
All their effort was directed towards two initiatives. “One was Senior Patrol and the other was along the lines of Mission 30M. As part of the former, we helped senior citizens procure necessary items. All they had to do was call us and give a list, and we’d get them whatever they required, as stepping out can be dangerous for them. We also provided meals to migrant workers at Assam Bhavan by tying up with Eco Kitchen,” she shares. As part of Mission 30M, RHA also has a concept called Bag of Hope. “The contents in the bag differ from city to city. In Chennai, we are providing dal, rice, oil, sugar, salt, toothbrush, toothpaste and sanitary napkins. We are not just aiming to provide food, but also essentials that can help an individual for a week or so,” she says. To donate: http://robinhoodarmy.com/mission30m