Khana Ghar: Rs3 for a square meal

The menu at Khana Ghar keep changing, sometimes its lentils, sometimes its vegetables, while Sunday is meat day.

With millions living under the poverty line in Pakistan, Khana Ghar (The home of food) strives to provide food at affordable price to the needy.

Parveen Saeed, who holds a master’s degree in journalism, has been running the project for almost 23 years, providing food to the poor of Karachi at an affordable price.

Recounting how it all started, Saeed said she used to take home-cooked food to these localities where one could get a square meal for just Rs3. Explaining the concept behind charging a minimal amount for food, Saeed said it was to make sure that people who ate there did not take the meals for granted, and would strive to earn the food for themselves and their families.

The menu at Khana Ghar keeps changing, sometimes it is lentils (daal), sometimes its vegetables, on other days its beans while, Sunday is reserved as meat day.

First established in Surjani Town, the project was shifted to Khuda ki basti only a year later. Food is also delivered to poor localities like Vehari, Gulshan-e-Subhani Phase II, where as many as 300 people are fed on daily basis.

"Never thought this would become such a huge project that people will recognise it by name, as people are coming together and contributing towards the project," exclaims Saeed.

She says that they are trying to build Khana Ghars in all the poor localities of Karachi.

Saeed added that if government wants, it can carry out a similar project very easily. "Every year billions of rupees are collected under Zakat deduction, government also have the Baitul Maal (the welfare fund) which it can utilise to provide food and ration to the needy ones."



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