What if your love for cooking could feed not just your family, but thousands of hungry children? We live in a country where over 200 million people go to bed hungry every day. But they say, humanity comes over everything. A group of six young villagers started a YouTube channel called “Village Rasoi” to showcase traditional food. To celebrate their success of hitting 10k subscribers, they decided to distribute free meals to the needy.

Village Rasoi was born in 2022. All the team members shared a deep love for cooking traditional and pure vegetarian food, but what made them different from others was their intention. Their intent was not just to cook food and post recipes online but to use their skills to make a difference. That’s when an idea struck their mind: what if they cooked delicious meals and served them to children who needed it the most? What if their YouTube channel could become more than just a recipe hub? Within no time, they had a vision to follow.

Their first video featured Dal Dhokli, a Gujarati meal made with lentils and wheat flour dumplings. What made the video special was the moment when it was served to a group of children. The joy on the kids’ faces could be easily seen. That one video planted the seed of something much bigger.

Critics and Challenges

In the early days, support was hard to come by. They had no sponsorships, no equipment, and very little encouragement. Some villagers even mocked and questioned them as to why they were giving food away “for free” or making videos instead of doing some “real work”.

On top of everything, they also had to face many technical difficulties like internet issues, power cuts and the challenge of uploading large video files with poor connectivity. Sometimes, they had to travel up to 20 kilometres just to find a spot where they could upload a single video.

A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor. It’s the storm that builds strength. They never gave up. What kept them going was the smile of a child after a homemade meal. That small joy in the eyes of hundreds of children was enough to outweigh the noise of criticism.

The Turning Point

The right moment doesn’t rush; it arrives with grace, clarity, and purpose. The moment of recognition for the founders of Village Rasoi came when they posted a video of Cantola Sabzi, a lesser-known but nutritious dish made from spiny gourd. The video went viral and within no time, drew thousands of views across the country.

More and more people wanted to know who these people were, cooking food under trees and serving food to kids with such sincerity and kindness.

And The Numbers Speak for Themselves

To date, Village Rasoi has served food to over 25,000 children in different schools and communities. What’s even more surprising is that they fund everything themselves. All the money they use comes from their YouTube earnings. Despite receiving multiple offers for donations, some even from overseas, they have declined them all as they wish to stay independent.

Ironically, the same villagers who once used to laugh at them now admire their dedication. Their story has become a symbol of what’s possible when intention meets action. For Praveen, Akshay, Bharat, Mehul, Praveen Makwana and Mahesh, true happiness comes from seeing a child smile after eating a nutritious and healthy meal. Their biggest dream is to feed as many hungry people as they can.

We live in a world where content often chases trends and numbers, but Village Rasoi is a rare breath of fresh air. They’re not just feeding the hungry, they’re spreading hope.