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.The organisation has also built partnerships with hundreds of shelters, community centres and educational organisations. These partnerships help it reach families and children who need support in different communities.Anakh’s work has also extended to India, where Rice Kids supports children from marginalised communities. More than half of the students supported by the organisation in India have returned to mainstream education. They no longer have to worry about how to put food on their families’ tables, according to the Barron Prize profile.
How Rice Kids expanded beyond food support
Rice Kids was founded in 2018 with the aim of providing hot meals to hungry children. As the initiative developed, Anakh began looking at the wider problems affecting the families it wanted to support.Food insecurity was not the only difficulty these children faced. Limited access to education and other essential resources could also affect their opportunities.The organisation gradually expanded its work to address these needs. Along with nutrition, it began providing educational programmes, health support, school supplies, computers and clothing.Rice Kids now works with hundreds of shelters, community centres and educational organisations. These partnerships help the nonprofit deliver its programmes to children and families across different locations.Its work is spread across five US states and several regions in India. The organisation says it has supported more than 110,000 people through its initiatives.
Helping children return to mainstream education in India
Education is an important part of Rice Kids’ work, particularly among children from marginalised communities in India.The organisation aims to remove some of the barriers that prevent children from attending school. Its support includes educational programmes and essential resources that families may otherwise struggle to access.According to the Barron Prize profile, more than half of the students supported by Rice Kids in India have returned to mainstream education.The organisation has also focused on making its work sustainable within the communities it serves. It trains women from marginalised communities to become educators. This approach allows local women to take part in delivering educational support.
Anakh on what she learnt from working with families
Anakh says listening to families has been an important part of understanding what kind of support they actually need. The organisation’s programmes have changed over time as she learnt more about the difficulties faced by the people it serves.“I have learned that listening is harder than it sounds,” Anakh says. “The most important shifts in how Rice Kids operates have come from moments where I put the plan aside and listened to what families were actually telling me.”Anakh was named a runner-up in the 2026 Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes. She was 17 at the time of the award announcement.She was also included in The Diana Award’s 2026 Roll of Honour, which recognises young people whose work has inspired others and created positive change in their communities.
