Jovita Aranha

“In 1976, I started sweeping and cleaning the floor at Niloufer Cafe. It was only a matter of time until I steadily climbed up the ladder. I was promoted to the position of a waiter, and soon moved into the kitchen where I made the cafe’s extra special Irani tea and Osmania biscuits.”

He visited the surrounding slums of Vishrantwadi and interacted with widows and divorced women. With no financial security, these women were struggling to raise their kids. Education was a luxury, a distant dream. Vinayak changed that too.

Each has its own backyard, where we cultivate our food. From vegetables like lady’s finger, baby tomato, ivy gourd, tomato, cluster beans, brinjal cowpea, green chilli to leafy greens, herbs, and fruits, we grow it all.

Today, not only has Anil achieved his entrepreneurial dream but also has an impressive list of accomplishments. He is an independent investment banker who helps start-ups raise early-stage capital, an author with two books to his credit and a motivational speaker who has travelled the world.

From native varieties of brinjal that yield 24 kg on a single plant, to a rich diversity of tomatoes, chilli, black carrot, multi-coloured corn, sorghum, sunflower, pomegranate, wood apple, wheat and even millet, over 800 heirloom varieties are preserved in their unique Seed Bank since 18 years.

If replicated across metros, this could not only ease commuter woes but also help both the auto drivers and the customers live and work together in peace and harmony!

A 1000 sq ft space that was once covered with shrubs, today has eight types of vegetables, a few fruits, and host of flowering plants!

"People are unaware of the vast varieties and their nutritive value. There are varieties that most of us have never seen or tasted before, which can be grown in India without relying on imported packages.”

If it weren’t the kids in her colony, then it would be one of her relatives. The academic pressure atop having to face her bullies each day, while being invisible in school, wasn’t helping.

While we revel at Forrest Gump, here's the lesser-known story of India’s very own runner.