Hyderabad: Hunger knows no religion and proving this every morning for the past nine years is a group of young volunteers in Hyderabad, who serve free breakfast to the poor and attendants of patients outside government hospitals.
Started in 2016 by Dr. Mohammed Shujathullah, a 32-year-old resident of Musheerabad, the Humanity First Foundation has now completed 3,300 days of uninterrupted breakfast service outside Niloufer Hospital. What began as a small initiative has grown into a large humanitarian effort, extended to Koti Maternity Hospital and NIMS Hospital, Punjagutta.
“Our motto is simple, Bhook Ka Koi Mazhab Nahi (hunger has no religion),” says Dr. Shujathullah, who began the initiative with a few friends. Every morning before sunrise, his team prepares about 25 kg of upma made with pure ghee, along with chutney, and distributes it to nearly 1,000 people, mostly patient attendants and daily-wage workers.
At Koti Maternity Hospital, breakfast is served between 7:30 and 7:45 a.m., at Niloufer around 8 a.m., and at NIMS between 8:15 and 8:30 a.m. Volunteers from different faiths participate in the effort, highlighting that humanity stands above all differences.
Many patient attendants expressed gratitude, saying they cannot afford to buy breakfast that costs Rs.30-Rs.40 per meal from nearby hotels every day. “These young people are doing what the system should be doing,” said one attendant, praising their selfless service.
Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, the team never missed a single day of service. “There wasn’t a single day in nine years when we failed to serve food,” said Dr. Shujathullah, thanking donors, family, and friends for their constant support.
“Every morning, when we serve food to a hungry person, we receive countless blessings that’s our greatest reward,” says Dr. Shujathullah.
Doctors at these hospitals have also appreciated the group’s humanitarian spirit, calling it a model of compassion and civic responsibility.
