From: [email protected] To: http://epaper.dnaindia.com/story.aspx?id=81682&boxid=190975&ed_date=2015-08-16&ed_code=820009&ed_page=9 No free lunch? Think againA Borivali resident’s free meals are feeding many a hungry souls, finds Sohini Das Gupta Sohini Das GuptaOver the last couple of weeks, social media sites welcomed an unsuspecting newsfeed topper. Mark D’Souza, with his silver moustache and kindly smile, could have been any 57-year-old. Instead, this Borivali resident, who became something of a local hero when he started his free lunch service for the elderly in 2012, is now the favourite topic of positivity-junkies. It isn’t hard to see why. Every day, Mark, who lives with his wife in Immaculate Conception (IC) Colony, feeds 25-30 people who are incapable of cooking their meals. For instance, the elderly or the infirm. Mark does this for free. It started as a passing thought for Mark. “Somebody has to do it, right?” he says, as he talks about nosediving into the initiative with Rs5,000 from his wife, Yvonne.Incredibly for Mark, it all fell into place from there on. He remembers a man, who donated 15 steel dabbas for him to deliver the food in, and a local doctor who pitched in with money. “Today, onions alone cost Rs50 per kg, you know? But I don’t feel the pressure,” he says, gratitude softening his voice. And who are these people who assist him in his daily crusade against hunger? Mark talks about his maid, who, for Rs7,000 a month, cooks up quite a storm — dal, chapattis, sabzi, the occasional chicken, fish or biryani all nicely rounded up by sweet treats of apple or ice cream. All this for 30 people every day. “I often tell her to do a good job, for God is watching. It’s okay if we have a less-than-perfect meal on one day, but not for these people.” Clearly, Mark’s zest for selfless, good work resonates with those around — he is often offered a helping hand up the stairs by durwans and security guards touched by his solo, delivery routine. But for Mark, bringing lunch for his ‘friends’, some of them over 90, is more than a duty call. “When I arrive with the dabba, I get one big, broad smile, sometimes accompanied by a ‘God bless’. I look forward to seeing them as much as they wait to see me every day. It is not about the food any more,” he smiles.So what does he do if somebody outside Borivali asks for his service? “What can I do? I can only serve as per my scale of resources. I tell them that I’d be happy to send a lunch box if they have somebody who can pick it up,” Mark explains. “Less chilly, less oil, less salt,” he crosses off the fundamentals of his meals, expectedly leaving out the most delicious of them – [email protected];@gupta_sohiniPublished Date: Aug 16, 2015
