Driven by passion to help poor and orphans

Hyderabad: The city man, Goutham Kumar, founder of the city-based NGO, 'Serve the Needy,' bagged Universal Book of Record for serving food to over 1,000 people in a single day. Kumar achieved the target on Sunday after he served food to more than 1,000 people at three different places.

He served food at Gandhi Hospital, women shelter home in Rajendra Nagar and Amma Nanna Orphanage Home in Choutuppal. This is the third record he achieved on Sunday. In February, he was acknowledged by Wonder Book of World Record for performing "Pinda Daan" for 150 orphan dead bodies. In January, he received Genius Book of World Record for being the only one in the world to do over 13 social services.

Kumar is not only serving the destitute of the city, but is also helping a countless number of impoverished, downtrodden, neglected individuals and orphaned children by improving their quality of life. He runs 'Serve the Needy' old-age home at Thumkunta in Shamirpet with 43 inmates and an orphanage with 44 children at Karkhana in Secunderabad.

Speaking to The Hans India, Kumar said, "I started the non-profit organisation in 2014, and now, we have around 20 volunteers, and we do various projects to serve the needy."

"Through 'Anna Daata' project, we feed the needy, and till today, we have fed 6 lakh meals to the needy across the city in the last three years. We have served food to more than a total of 1,000 people on a single day at three different places," Kumar said. He served about 300 meals at Gandhi Hospital, 400 meals at Amma Nanna Orphanage Home in Choutuppal and 300 meals at women shelter home. It is a world record.

Kumar said he felt proud of achieving the record. "I need to do more for humanity. We are expanding our organization, so that no one will die due to hunger," he said. The 'Serve the Needy' also has branches in Vijayawada, Anandapuram, and Nandiyal. He said whatever service they do, every day, they post pictures on the Facebook and that there are more than one lakh followers who like their services and donate.

Kumar further said no one inspired him to do the service. He started the projects out of his own interest. He used to work in an MNC. He left the job, as he was not satisfied with his job and started working for the people.

Apart from 'Anna Daatha' project, Goutham works on 12 different social service projects, including free last rites for orphans, old-age home, orphanage, 'Pinda Daan' project, donating stationery to the government school children, 'Gomata seva,' green book project - collecting waste paper materials and recycling it into notebooks and distributing them to the poor, organic farming – till now they have distributed 300 vegetables to various NGOs and various slums in the city (the organic farm is located in Shamirpet), organic cremation project, fight against canner project, distributing old clothes to needy and free medical services.

Social Services Rendered

1. Anna Daata
2. Last rites for orphans
3. Old-age home
4. Orphanage
5. Pinda Daan
6. Donating stationary to government schools
7. Organic farming
8. Disturbing old clothes
9. Organic cremation
10. Fight against cancer
11. Green book project
12. Gomata Seva
13. Free medical service