Alex Sanchez, 36, Mallyeka Watsa, 33 and Ruchi Jain, 34
Co-owners of Americano; Founder, Taru Naturals

The beginning of the lockdown was a difficult time for restaurateurs Alex Sanchez and Mallyeka Watsa. "When we first closed Americano in late March, we had barely completed a year of operations. It was hard to shut the doors, not knowing when we would reopen again, and our overall feeling about the state of the world was more or less pessimistic. We decided that we needed to change our outlook and focus on doing good for others," says Watsa. Weary of making a blind donation, her partner Alex says, "I wouldn't know if those funds would be used efficiently and effectively. We were prepared to make a sizeable donation on behalf of Americano, but we wanted to do it in a way that would make a meaningful impact on the lives of others. That is when I connected the dots: on one hand farmers had a surplus of food which they were unable to sell, and, on the other hand, there was mass food scarcity in communities all across Mumbai. I took the idea to Ruchi Jain of Taru Naturals, and she helped the idea come to life."

Together, they started The Farm to Table Relief Fund, to help bring produce from small-scale farmers in Mulshi, Hadapsar, Osmanabad, Shindewadi, Uruli Kanchan and Palghar, and supply it to those in need—like the labourers in areas such as Govandi, Mankhurd, Dharavi and Worli who were out of work. They did this through IAHV (International association for Human Values) and its volunteers who worked from a school in Dharavi. Later, Chef Ranveer Brar got involved in the communication and the logistics of arranging a truck of rice from Alibaug.