Anand Mahindra took to Twitter to appreciate the work of engineering dropout Shivam Soni, whose initiative Hunger Langar offers meals for just Rs 10. Here is his story.
In a recent tweet, Mahindra Group chairman Anand Mahindra shared the inspiring story of Shivam Soni, a young man from Madhya Pradesh, covered by The Better India in April 2021.
He praised Shivam Soni for his endeavour of providing food to the needy every day, at just Rs 10 and sometimes for free. His idea for setting up Hunger Langer was born out of his own life experiences.
Mahindra retweeted a video featuring Shivam’s story, published on TBI’s social media recently. He wrote, “What a powerful story. Life continues to teach us that the best way to heal ourselves is to help others. I guess he’s gathered external supporters to fund his langar. I’d be very privileged if I could add my support too. (sic)”
What a powerful story. Life continues to teach us that the best way to heal ourselves is to help others. I guess he’s gathered external supporters to fund his langar. I’d be very privileged if I could add my support too. Request @thebetterindia to provide his contact details https://t.co/mAP8sYXVPq— anand mahindra (@anandmahindra) December 7, 2022
Hailing from Sikand in Madhya Pradesh, Shivam had to face several hardships in his life. After dropping out from engineering college, he started a restaurant of his own in 2018. But the 26-year-old was soon diagnosed with psoriasis, a skin disease that causes red and itchy scaly patches. Thus, he had to shut down his restaurant, which left him with a mounting debt of Rs 18 lakh.
Unable to cope, he ran away from home to Indore. While living on the streets, Shivam ate from langars and slept in railway stations. He says that this life experience was a turning point, and he learnt the value of food. Soon, he took up the job as a security guard and used his meager savings to start a humble venture.
Today, at Hunger Langer, Shivam sells all meals at just Rs 10 and sometimes provides them for free to those in need.
A Twitter user responded on the thread, “To come out of such a situation, rebuild self and also all along to care for others, is inspiring to those who struggle in life with different problems.”
Watch how Shivam overcame his hardships and embraced compassion: