Seva Vardhini: ‘Ek Muthi Anaaj’ Campaign; A Social Revolution Taking Shape Through Small Contributions..!

Pimpri Chinchwad | “Drop by drop, a lake is formed”—we have all heard this saying, but the ‘Ek Muthi Anaaj’ (One Fistful of Grain) campaign that has been running in Pimpri-Chinchwad for the last four years is truly bringing this proverb to life. This initiative, born from the spirit of donation and service, is now becoming a full-fledged social revolution.

A Concept So Simple and Accessible

Every month, one family donates just 200–250 grams of grain—the equivalent of a child’s one-time meal or a fistful of grains. This small contribution has now evolved into a massive movement sustained by thousands of fists.

Key Highlights of the Campaign-

Active in 7 suburbs
Participation from 80+ housing societies
Collection every third Sunday: 5,000–6,000 kg of grain
Collected grain delivered the same day to orphanages and old-age homes
Network of 650 volunteers
Reaching 32,000 families every month
In 4 years: 204,000 kg of grain collected
Support provided to 49 orphanages and old-age homes
Daily: 700+ underprivileged children and elders receive full meals
Total meals served: 1,020,000+

Inspirational Leadership

President – Vinod Patil (Recipient of Bharat Bhushan & Inspiring Human Awards)
Founder – Girija Tai Shirshikar
Mentors – Girish Degaonkar, Vinayak Kaka Kulkarni

Words from Volunteers – Straight from the Heart

“Today, this campaign has taken the form of a social revolution. All volunteers are contributing to ensure that no one goes to bed hungry. Even though the campaign arranges meals for 700 children daily, it is still just a beginning. Our aim is to reach needy institutions in every corner of Maharashtra. Though the path is challenging, we are confident our volunteers will make it possible. All have taken a mighty resolution in their hands.”
– Vinod Patil, President

“The idea of a fistful of grain may seem small, but its impact is enormous. With 700 volunteers contributing, 6,000–7,000 kg of grain is collected each month.”
– Abhay Baviskar, Secretary, Pimple Saudagar

“It feels fulfilling to be doing something for society. Because of the campaign’s transparent functioning, there’s great trust among the community.”
– Keshav Joshi, Pimple Saudagar

“A year ago, only 4 societies from Wakad were part of the campaign. Today, there are 21, and more are reaching out every month. It shows how deeply the community feels connected to this initiative.”
– Abhijeet Chaudhary, Wakad

“Every month, 32,000 families respond to our appeal and step forward to help the underprivileged.”
– Aniket Deshmukh, Secretary, Wakad

“Each month feels like a celebration for us, and every volunteer participates with great enthusiasm. There’s immense satisfaction in doing something for society every month.”
– Prasad Padgavkar, Volunteer

“I feel proud to be part of this social movement. Through the ‘Ek Muthi Anaaj’ campaign, we’re determined to reach 100+ societies—and we will definitely achieve that.”
– Vivek Kasat, Executive Member

Seva Vardhini – ‘Ek Muthi Anaaj’ Executive Committee

President: Vinod Patil
Founder: Girija Tai Shirshikar
Mentors: Girish Degaonkar, Vinayak Kaka Kulkarni
Secretary (Pimple Saudagar): Abhay Baviskar
Wakad Secretary: Aniket Deshmukh
Pimple Saudagar Secretary Representative: Keshav Joshi
Wakad Secretary Representative: Abhijeet Chaudhary
Volunteer: Not Required

Executive Members-
Prasad Padgavkar · Sachin Deshpande · Vivek Kasat · Manik Sudrik · Nakul Deshpande · Chakradhar Borkute · Shivram Latpate · Sandeep Gunjal · Shivkumar Pyati · Sandeep Kale · Nitin Salve · Tushar Shah · Purushottam Shete · Viral Shah · Pushkar Sarnis · Bhagwat Patil · Chandan Chaurasia · Anand Gujarathi · Shikhar Shrivastav · Vishnukant Pandey · Tarun Sitha · Ganesh Patil · Nitin Bhirud · Subhash Pathak · Nitin Chaudhary · Arvind Puranik · Arvind Jadhav · Balkrishna Masalgekar · Sanjay Patil · Rupesh Helwade

‘Ek Muthi Anaaj’ is not merely a concept—it is a movement born out of compassion. What can be achieved with one fist is not just food donation—it is recognizing a societal need and stepping forward. Every month, thousands of hands come together… and bring comfort to thousands of lives.
This fist has now become a movement.