Meal a Month

When I joined AID as a volunteer in August 2006, I wasn’t too enthused by the concept of Meal a Month (MaM) . It was something I had never heard of before. It seemed like just another way to ask for donations from volunteers. But after having volunteered with AID for a year now, I have come to realize the power and the importance of Meal-a-Month.

What is this MaM ? MaM is a form of monetary donation to AID activities. The cost of one Meal is different for all of us. To some, it is a Rs. 15 thali at the local cafeteria while to some it may be the Rs. 300 Pizza at the nearby joint. At AID, we ask you to contribute what YOU believe is the cost of YOUR single meal, every month.

A volunteer who wants to donate money for a social cause can do it under any pretext – be it buying books, bags or clothes or even for administrative expenses. The essence of Meal-a-Month is that it not a donation compaign. It is not a ‘Caption’ under which money is collected. Meal a month is a form of expression of the sentiments of the donor.

We at AID believe in the philosophy of “Sangharsh, Seva, Nirmaan”. All three require commitment, hard work and some amount of care on our behalf. When we talk about the upliftment of the poor, we must realize that we are talking about providing them basic amenities. Food is the basic necessity of man. Lack of food is the first sign of Poverty. We at AID, in our struggle to fight poverty and to work for the underprivileged, believe that food is an amenity that we can all work for and provide to the needy.

Meal a month, and some other forms of Directed donations, is the only way AID raises money. We do not go to charities, or funding agencies for money. We do not go to Corporates and beg them for a slice of their ‘Corporate Social Responsibility’. At AID, we believe in “Individual Social Responsibility”. More than 60% of funds raised by AID Delhi come from Meal-a-Month. Besides, there is no vested money laundering in MaM. AID Delhi is as transparent as an organization can be.

MaM is not merely about raising money. It is about showing that you care. Some volunteers try to quantify their volunteering skills by claiming that they should not pay MaM when they are already engaged in volunteering in the form of teaching, writing, designing etc. In my opinion, there is no limit to volunteering. One should do as much as one can do. MaM does not ask for much, merely the cost for one meal a month. None of our volunteers live in a hand-to-mouth situation that prevents them from making such a contribution, over and above the other forms of volunteering which they do.

I proudly donate Rs. 100 as my Meal-a-Month contribution to AID. It does not mean that I have hundred rupee meals all the time. Nor does it mean that it’s the maximum amount I spend for meals. But it is certainly a reasonable figure. It can feed one, two or maybe even an entire family for a day. Or the money can go for administrative expenses, for the fellowships of our full-time volunteers, for buying books or clothes when we need them.

When I contribute my MaM , it is not a directed donation. Nor am I thinking about AID’s over-dependence on MaM for its expenses. I would have given the same amount even if AID had gotten enough money from a single individual to take care of its expenses. This donation to me is a way to show to myself (and to AID) that I care. No matter how much I volunteer for AID, I will never say that the volunteering can make up for my MaM contribution.

I know there are many who read this want to actively do social work. Many of them are registered volunteers of AID. But personal or professional constraints or mere lethargy of action hasn’t let you do anything so far. I implore you all to come forward and contribute to Meal-a-Month. The gesture itself is enough to remove your lethargy. It will not only symbolize that you care, but will make you come forward and show an active interest in AID Delhi’s activities.