Rajesh Shah's GEO Roti Ghar: Transforming lives through meals, education, and community support (VIDEO)

Businessman Rajesh Shah was on his way to a restaurant for dinner with his family when a sight stopped him in his tracks—a young child scavenging for scraps from a trash bin. The image of the child eating discarded leftovers lingered with him long after. “I could not stop thinking about it,” recalls Shah. “It made me realise how many people around us go hungry every day, unable to afford a basic meal. The helplessness of that moment was overwhelming. I knew I had to act.”

Since its inception, the NGO has impacted nearly 1.6 million people

In 2019, Shah translated his resolve into action by launching GEO Roti Ghar, an initiative under the Gujarati Enrichment Organisation Forum (GEO), which is engaged in a wide spectrum of philanthropic work. Beyond providing meals to the needy, the NGO focuses on empowering women through livelihood opportunities, feeding stray animals, and supporting vulnerable communities through the seasons—donating Solapuri blankets during harsh winters, tarpaulin sheets to slum dwellers in the monsoon, and distributing buttermilk in the sweltering summer heat. Over the years, it has widened its outreach with several such initiatives aimed at offering relief and dignity to those in need.

“I began by urging people to contribute just one roti from their homes and drop it off at a designated collection point,” recalls the Sion resident. “To my surprise, I received 1,700 rotis!” He handed the collection over to another roti bank, which supplemented it with additional food items before distributing it to those in need. That overwhelming response became a turning point for him—an encouragement so powerful that he hasn’t looked back since.

Along with a group of supporters, Shah began serving full meals to residents of underprivileged neighbourhoods every Sunday. But just a year into the initiative, the COVID-19 pandemic struck. While the country ground to a halt, Shah’s philanthropic efforts accelerated. “By then, people already knew I had been distributing food every Sunday,” recalls the 57-year-old. “In 2020, as the lockdown took hold, I began receiving calls from people seeking help. Most days of that period were spent out in the field, handing out meals and basic necessities to migrant workers and to those managing the city from the streets.” 

Over the years, Shah’s efforts have expanded significantly, with initiatives multiplying to address different needs. “We also sponsor education and school supplies for children who cannot afford to study, most of them from tribal communities around the city,” he explains. The organisation also works to support widows striving to support their families, donating sewing machines and khakra-making machines to help them launch small food businesses. 

Chandubhai Mehta, Managing Partner, Dhruve Liladhar and Co.

Chandubhai Mehta, Managing Partner, Dhruve Liladhar and Co., shares, “Rajesh has been doing remarkable work by feeding the hungry every single day. Over the years, his efforts have expanded beyond meals to include empowering widows with resources to earn a livelihood, sponsoring education for underprivileged children, and launching several other initiatives. What makes his mission even more extraordinary is that he runs it with almost zero administrative costs—every donation goes directly to the cause.”