Statistics show that India has more people suffering from chronic hunger than any other country. Over 300 million of its citizens reportedly go to bed without food every night, representing over a third of the estimated one billion hungry people across the world. One-third of the world's malnourished children are in India. Chronic hunger kills 7,000 people a day in this country. The number of starvation deaths and suicides due to hunger has shot up in the past few years. Clearly, we are in the midst of a massive food crisis. And clearly, the government has failed to even address, let alone resolve, the issue satisfactorily. What is required, then, is an initiative by the community. What is required is a war against hunger.

The Annam programme was launched by the Srishti Foundation in Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh, as a community initiative that seeks to expand into a national one. The programme started by feeding 150 persons a day at the Srishti centre in Kakinada. Over 370,000 meals have been served. Those fed include the hungry among the aged, children and destitutes. In the next five years, we hope to build and sustain 2000 such feeding centres across the country that will each feed 50 persons a day. Altogether, the goal is that the centres will feed 1,00,000 persons a day. Each community that has a center will take responsibility for that center.

Powered by a powerful vision and coupled with a strong skill building program, the Annam program seeks to eliminate hunger from India altogether by the year 2025.