“Who Are You Guys? Why Did You Come Here? Nobody Has Ever Done This For Us”
Inder Bhagnani was eating in a cafeteria when he noticed a labourer turn down a small meal. It cost AED4, but the labourer told Inder he couldn’t have tea for four days if he chose to buy it.
This small tale of poverty in 2014 kickstarted a community initiative, Feed A Labour, which has seen Inder and others feed half a million labourers around Dubai. Feed A Labour doesn’t take cash, they collect food and connect with construction sites at the beginning of the construction. They work at the same site for about three years until it’s done, then move onto another.
On The Lovin Dubai show this morning, Inder recalled one of the most powerful moments, when one labourer stood completely still as Inder and his group worked to distribute items. When Inder approached him and asked if he was okay, the man said:
“Who are you guys? Why did you come here? Nobody has ever done this for us. Can I just hug you? I wanted to hug you and say thank you for thinking of us”
Inder said it was the most emotional hug he has ever received, and he’ll never forget it.
Skip to 26.00 for the interview
“I don’t need your money, I need your time”
Inder is a local real estate entrepreneur and businessman who has lived here since 1995. He founded the Feed A Labour initiative, where they distribute food and utility items to thousands of labourers across Dubai.
Feed a labour Facebook group has over 6.8K members. Currently, it feeds approximately more than 2,000 workers every Saturday and is held at different locations throughout the UAE, in total they have fed half a million people since they began.
If you would like to help and learn more – see here
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