For the past 18 years, Mukesh Kumar has served steaming Chinese food on the bustling streets of Mumbai — seven days a week, 14 hours a day — from morning till midnight.
He works tirelessly in the sweltering heat and pouring rain, not because it’s easy, but because it’s honest. Originally from Jharkhand, he lives alone in Dadar to earn a living, sending support back home.
But behind the delicious plates of fried rice and noodles lies a quieter struggle.
Mukesh rents everything — his table, his pans, even the stove he cooks on. Each day starts with a cost and ends with just enough to get by. He dreams of owning just the basics — a setup he doesn’t have to rent daily, so he can save, serve more efficiently, and build a more secure future.
“Bas apna chhota sa setup ho jaaye… toh main zyada imaandari se kaam kar sakta hoon.”
(“If I could just have my own small setup… I could work more honestly and freely.”)
All he’s asking for are tools — not charity, but the means to continue his work with dignity.
Let’s help Mukesh go from survival to stability.
Because behind every hot meal served, is someone working day and night to keep the city fed.
