OBJECTIVE: This is a request for your company to support a low cost-high impact initiative of Ma Foundation’s MA KI ROTI program. It empowers self-help groups of mothers to start a catering enterprise, which gives them and their family nutrition and makes them an earning member of the family.

Simultaneously the program delivers a nutritious meal at an amazingly affordable price.

Each center can be supported Rs. 5.5 lac per year, including infrastructure and operational costs.

PROGRAM: A MA KI ROTI center is primarily a mother’s canteen in a cluster of villages, operated by destitute mothers.

A needy Women’s Self-Help Group (SHG) earns an income by cooking and serving nutritious meals to an average of 50 needy people - daily wage earners like laborers , and individual fruit-vegetable sellers.

The cost of each lunch, consisting of a bowl of rice, dhal, vegetable, and 3 chapattis, is Rs 30/-. The diner is to pay Rs 10/- while the balance amount of Rs 20/- comes from the grant sourced by Ma Foundation. Over a period of time the grant is scaled down and till the centers becomes self sufficient.

The thali is a nutritionally balanced meal giving fiber, protein, and carbohydrates important micronutrients from vegetables to the population that needs it the most.

The program goals are woven around the Sustainable Development Goals of “No poverty, no hunger, and Decent Work and Economic Growth”.

VALIDATING PROGRAM EFFECTIVENESS: We first started with a program covering 1 centre comprising of 15 mothers and today a total of 400 mothers are associated with the program, across 25 centers despite covid as deterrent.

On an average mothers are able to earn INR 1500-1700 per month apart from carrying left over food for themselves and family which would otherwise cost INR 500 to 800/ month.

Every day, each canteen caters to an average of 50 persons currently. This includes male and female daily wage earners. Among them, 30 percent are women.

To date, we have fed more than 1 lac underprivileged. 30,000 women and 70,000 Men.

COMPLIANCES: The Foundation is registered under 12AA and 80G of the Income-Tax Act. Ma Foundation is a trust in which renowned singer Usha Uthup, veteran cricketer Arun Lal and former TATA Sons. Director, Ishaat Husain serve as honorary trustees. Ma Foundation has a CEO and staff. The foundation operates out of Revills, 1st Floor, 45 Capt Prakash Pethe Marg, Cuffe Parade Mumbai 400005.

Ma Foundation collaborates through its nation-wide network of social entrepreneurs. Care has been taken to enlist network members, who are out to do good, without patronage or big funding. They are small NGOs but are dedicated and work at the grassroots.

We recently completed three years and now have CSR registration to approach Corporates.

USP: Ma Foundation is fortunate that a donor supports its operating cost of office rental & costs, salaries, legal and finance functions. Every rupee donated goes towards the cause, and this is quite a distinctive feature.

DILIGENT FEEDBACK: The program activities and outcomes are being regularly monitored and we follow a robust reporting system where we provide regular updates and feedback to our donors