In Delhi, This CA Serves 250 People Daily With Freshly Cooked Meals at Just Rs 10 Each!

Every day, near the buzzing streets of Mayapuri in West Delhi, at around 12 pm, a few ladies and a 70-year-old volunteer quietly set up a food stall. No banners, no flashy signs, just a few people busy arranging plates, dishes, and getting ready to serve food to passers-by. 

In just about half an hour, a crowd begins to flock to the stall — daily wage workers, rickshaw pullers, delivery executives — all queuing up patiently, not for charity, but for a hot, home-cooked meal they can pay for with dignity.

At the heart of this humble effort is 53-year-old Sanjay Dodrajka, a chartered accountant by profession and a social worker by heart.

“I didn’t want people to feel like they are begging or taking food for free. Rs 10 may not seem like much, but paying for your food gives you self-respect. And that’s everything,” smiles Sanjay.

From working in a corporate environment to serving people

Sanjay became a qualified CA in 1996 and went on to work for corporates. He was not happy as he believed he had to do social work to have some purpose in life. He quit his corporate job and began his own CA firm around 2003. But his story didn’t end with balance sheets and audits. “I was always drawn to social work, even as a student,” he says.

In 2014, he lost his close friend in an air crash. Deeply affected by this tragedy, Sanjay and a few of his friends started a volunteer-led NGO ‘Hamari Udaan’ in his late friend’s memory. 

With no office, no full-time staff, and no grants, the initiative began with health camps and school outreach programmes. But over time, they realised the impact of consistent, simple acts—like serving nutritious food every day—was far greater.

And this thought gave birth to the ‘Food With Dignity’ programme.

Inspired by a volunteer selling tea in Shimla and Noida’s ‘Dadi Ki Rasoi’

The spark behind his food initiative came from two people: A Sikh gentleman quietly serving tea outside a government hospital in Shimla and the well-known ‘Dadi Ki Rasoi’ in Noida, where hot meals are offered at just five rupees.

“They weren’t doing it for fame or funds. Just pure service. That moved me,” Sanjay recalls.

Six and a half years ago, the ‘Food With Dignity’ programme was born. Except for a brief break during the pandemic, it has been running every single day since.

To eat with dignity: A plate of rice at Rs 10

The concept of the programme is simple: For Rs 10, anyone can walk up to the stall and get a hot plate of rice with a nutritious curry — be it rajma, lobia, chole, soya, or dal.

The meals are cooked fresh each morning by a team of local women. Five women work in the kitchen, and another five serve at the stall. “All the women are on a rotating shift and are paid Rs 300 for two hours of work per day.

“Apart from giving people food at an affordable price, this initiative is also about giving women in the community flexible and respectful employment,” Sanjay says.

On an average day, the team serves 220 to 250 meals. They wrap it all up by 2:30 pm.

No office, no website: Just a group of people doing what they love

Sanjay’s NGO is anything but conventional. There’s no fancy headquarters, no donation drives. His home and his office double as their NGO workspace.

“We’ve never received a grant. It’s just my salary and a small group of friends who pitch in regularly. That’s how we’ve kept Hamari Udaan going,” he says.

Every morning, a woman from the team calls in with the quantity of rice and curry needed. The food is prepared by 11:30 am, packed, and sent to the stall via an auto. A retired man, whom the team lovingly calls ‘uncle’ from the neighbourhood, volunteers to supervise the service. Sanjay handles everything else — from sourcing ration and arranging funds to making sure salaries are paid.

“Occasionally, I eat at the stall too. I want them to know that if I trust the food, they can too,” Sanjay says.

The model operates on a thin margin. Each meal costs around Rs 23 to 24, including ingredients, fuel, salaries, and logistics. The Rs 10 received from each plate helps recover a part of the cost. The rest is borne by Sanjay and his circle of supporters. “It’s not a business. It’s a responsibility.”

But Sanjay’s work doesn’t stop at the food stall.

Under Hamari Udaan, he also organises eye and dental camps, nutritional sessions in Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) schools, cycle safety workshops, and even magic shows to bring smiles to underprivileged kids. The team works with around 50 MCD schools in Delhi.

In one project, they designed and shipped cycle safety stickers across India for factory workers. “We don’t wait for a blueprint. If we see a need, we just get to work,” he says.

A big part of the operation is powered by two women named Kavita and Seema, who run a Self-Help Group (SHG) in Sanjay’s neighbourhood. They help recruit and coordinate the women who work in the kitchen and stalls. “Kavita is like the engine of the project,” Sanjay says with gratitude.

Kavita, who runs her own NGO Action for Community Development Trust, with a few of her friends, has been actively involved in helping government school kids and ladies from underprivileged backgrounds. “We take tuitions for the government school students and also help ladies from below the poverty line through micro financing. We met Sanjay when we were already into our social work and collaborated with him for the Food with Dignity programme,” Kavita shares.

It’s in Kavita’s kitchen where the food is prepared. 

Azizul, a 57-year-old woman who works in the kitchen, shares that she has been associated with the self-help group for 14 years now and has been with Sanjay’s team ever since the food programme was launched. “I was a domestic help before this, which was uncertain and didn’t have a regular income, and now I have a proper job to do,” she says.

46-year-old Anita, who is busy packing food and loading it into the auto, speaks to us about her association with the NGO. “It’s a blessing to be a part of this team. We are doing a good deed every day. I have two children, with this stable income, I am able to fund my children’s education today,” Anita shares.

Anita’s son is pursuing his engineering degree while her daughter is in school. “At 46, I am also able to move around and keep myself busy and fit by doing this job.” She has been a part of the SHG for 12 years now. 

“It’s not difficult to do this. You just need three things—trust, teamwork, and heart. The rest follows,” Sanjay adds. In a world obsessed with scale and speed, Sanjay Dodrajka’s story is a quiet reminder that small, consistent acts of kindness can have the biggest impact.

Willing to be a part of this quiet revolution? Your contribution can help someone enjoy a hot, home-cooked meal with self-respect. Each plate costs just ₹10, but its impact is priceless. Scan the QR code to donate and support daily wage earners, rickshaw pullers, and delivery workers with nutritious meals, all while empowering women with dignified livelihoods.

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