We understand there’s a new Food for People facility located in Nepal. What can you tell us about it?
The Prem Rawat Foundation (TPRF) and one of its partner organizations, Premsagar Foundation Nepal (PFN), recently inaugurated the second Food for People (FFP) initiative, in Dhading District, Nepal. This clean, modern facility is located in a very rural setting, about two hours drive from Kathmandu.

It was a wonderful experience for me and an honor to participate on behalf of TPRF. The inauguration was a very special occasion for the local people, too, and I was surprised to learn that some children had walked for 1 ½ hours to reach the site.

There were government representatives from social service departments, who spoke about the benefits the FFP program will provide people living in this remote rural location. There were also representatives from WaterAid and World Food Programme, who enthusiastically supported TPRF’s effort to provide nutrition and hygiene education to the villagers.

Prem Rawat, the founder of TPRF, was the keynote speaker of the ceremony, and he explained that the FFP program is unique, because it takes into account local customs and involves the people in the decision-making process. He said that each country’s future is connected with its children, so we should not ignore the children. We need to provide them with food, clothing, shelter, education, and healthcare.

The facility is now serving hot nutritious meals daily to 400 children and elderly adults living in seven surrounding villages, collectively known as Dhading District. The FFP program will also offer hygiene education, which will help improve the overall health of the villagers, and it is expected that the daily meals will encourage regular school attendance for local children.

What exactly is the Food for People program? How did it get started?
The Food for People program is an initiative of TPRF that began as we understood more about the vision of Prem Rawat, who wanted to offer assistance to people in need and, at the same time, respect their dignity and give them hope for a better future.

The Food for People initiative began several years ago when Prem Rawat was on tour, speaking at events in northeast India, and saw the undernourished children living in the Bantoli area. He learned that they sometimes had to forage for insects or kernels of grain they found in rats’ nests, and he wanted to reach out to them to offer some assistance. Within a short time, the first Food for People facility was built, and it has since been serving meals every day to the children, the sick, and the elderly living in all the nearby villages.

Can you explain a little more about the difference between TPRF’s Food for People initiative and other nutrition aid programs?
This initiative is unique because it caters to the indigenous people and their local customs. Every day of the year, FFP serves hot meals that are made from traditional local recipes, and the entire program is organized around the needs of the communities, with input from the village elders. Some villagers help with food preparation, where they learn important lessons about kitchen hygiene, and others help cultivate the crops, and learn more effective agriculture production techniques.

What are most important benefits of the FFP program in India? Do you expect similar benefits for the people in Nepal?
We have learned many things from our experience with the pilot program in India. We learned that, besides the results that are quickly visible when children have enough nutrition, there are other positive changes that occur over time. We noticed two very important benefits that are helping to break the cycle of poverty.

The first benefit is that there is less illness; the people are healthier because they have better nutrition and they have more understanding of good hygiene habits, which we all know is essential to maintaining good health.

The second benefit is that there is improved education. The children in the program attend school every day because the Food for People program offers them this welcome daily routine, which encourages school attendance. Even the older children in the Bantoli area, some of whom had dropped out of school to work in exchange for food, have returned to school and are continuing their education.

I am sure that we will soon be celebrating the success of the Dhading District FFP program in Nepal, as people become healthier and children attend school regularly.

How did this Food for People in Nepal come about?
After the success of the first two years of the Bantoli Food for People, we decided to build more facilities based on that model. When some people in Nepal heard about the success of the first FFP program in India, they approached TPRF to discuss building one in Nepal. It seemed like a perfect match. The need was clearly apparent, and there was a school nearby. They created a non-profit foundation, Premsagar Foundation Nepal, similar to the foundation in India, that could oversee the management. Community leaders were enthusiastic and willing to send a group to Bantoli to learn the ropes.

Why was this particular area of Dhading chosen?
PFN assessed the needs of villagers in different parts of Nepal. They decided to establish the center at Dhading near Kathmandu, because this is a remote, mountainous area of Nepal and there is often a real shortage of food. Tasarpu Village was selected because it was central to seven other villages in the surrounding mountains, and there is an impressive school building, which will be used a lot more now. We fully expect that, as in Bantoli, once the children’s basic nutrition needs are met, they will be attending school more regularly where they can gain the skills needed to open new possibilities to them in the future.

Last year, TPRF donated $250,000 USD to start this project and will continue to help support it.

Who is staffing this facility?
PFN will be managing the facility to ensure quality control and will be including some of the local villagers, training them with an emphasis on hygiene education. Several of the young men and women who are staffing the facility have already spent time in Bantoli to learn how that facility is run.

Is there anything you would like to add?
It is wonderful to see the outpouring of support from people around the world who understand the benefits of the FFP initiative and are helping to make this program possible.

It is extremely enjoyable and rewarding for all of us participating with the FFP projects. We are inspired by Prem Rawat’s vision, his clarity, and commitment to his lifetime work of reaching out to people all around the world and offering them hope for a better future — a future that includes a life with dignity … peace … and prosperity.

About The Prem Rawat Foundation
The Prem Rawat Foundation was created in 2001 by Prem Rawat, known also as Maharaji, and has a dual mission of bringing his message of peace to people around the world and providing essential humanitarian aid to those in need. TPRF partners with other humanitarian organizations to bring food, water and rapid disaster relief where it is most needed. For more information, visit: tprf.org