Meet Anakh Sawhney, the New Jersey girl who began feeding hungry children at 9; eight years later, her nonprofit has supported over 110,000 people across the US and India and helped students return to school

The Times of India · TOI World Desk · 2026-11-06 13:00 UTC

Anakh Sawhney was nine years old when she began helping children who did not have enough food to eat.

Anakh Sawhney was nine years old when she began helping children who did not have enough food to eat. Her effort has since grown into a nonprofit supporting more than 110,000 people across five US states and several regions in India.

Anakh, now 17, founded Rice Kids in 2018 after meeting children at homeless shelters where her family volunteered. Their circumstances made her think about how she could help. She began by focusing on one immediate need: providing food to children who were going hungry.

Over the years, however, her work expanded beyond meals. Rice Kids now focuses on addressing the reasons that keep children from accessing education and other basic support. Its programmes include nutrition, education, health support, school supplies, computers and clothing.

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