From Pain to Purpose

At a glittering function on November 16 at PHD House, New Delhi, the Nexus of Good Annual Awards for 2025 were given away by Mr BK Chaturvedi, former Cabinet Secretary, Government of India, and Padma Bhushan awardee. The awards were selected by a jury headed by Mr Deepak Gupta, former Chairman, Union Public Service Commission. The list of awardees included civil servants and non-governmental organisations who were doing exemplary work in their respective fields, and the model they had put in place was either already scaling or had the potential to be replicated and scaled. Among these select awardees was Anchal Sharma, a cancer survivor and founder of Happiness Charitable Trust.

Life does not come with a warning. It comes with tests — moments that can either break you or make you stronger. Anchal Sharma has faced many such moments, and each has shaped her into someone determined to turn pain into purpose. She dropped out of school after the 8th grade to support her family. Her father struggled with addiction, and her family needed her. She started working at a young age, learning responsibility, resilience, and the quiet power of determination. Life tested her further when her younger sister faced a traumatic incident. At 21, she fought a difficult legal battle to seek justice for herself — and won. Around the same time, she endured domestic violence, and later, the house her family had built with so much hope was demolished.

Then came stage 3 breast cancer.

Each challenge could have broken her. Instead, they made her stronger, more compassionate, and more determined. They taught her that pain can be transformed into purpose — and that is exactly what the Meals of Happiness Charitable Trust became for her.

What started as a small effort to feed the hungry grew into a mission to restore hope and dignity. The Trust provides meals, ration support, medical aid, and emotional care — especially to cancer patients travelling from rural areas to Delhi. It operates without an office, a large team, or substantial funds. Her family became her volunteers, and a few devoted angels joined hands to help.

She had seen hunger and death very closely, and that had given her a perspective and understanding of pain that few could claim. This experience drives every meal they serve, every ration kit they distribute, and every patient they support.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the work of the Trust reached multiple states, including Delhi-NCR, Maharashtra, Bihar, Jharkhand, Haryana, Andaman, Punjab, and Uttar Pradesh. People from different communities opened their kitchens to them, contributed ration kits, medicines, and sanitary pads, and together they reached thousands of families in need. That period showed her the power of collaboration and human kindness on a massive scale.

Anchal remembers a young woman who came for cancer treatment from a remote village. She had no one to support her. With a ration kit, a hot meal, and a listening ear, she smiled for the first time in days. That smile reminded Anchal why every effort matters.

In March this year, Meals of Happiness was honoured with the Forbes India Award under the Serve India Initiative. It was recognition of the dedication, love, and impact they had achieved despite limited resources. But the Trust believes that awards are not its goal. The real reward lies in the lives they touch, the hope that is restored, and the dignity that is brought back to those who feel forgotten.

Through Meals of Happiness, Anchal learnt that even the smallest acts of kindness ripple far beyond what can be seen. A warm meal, a ration kit, a listening ear — these gestures can restore hope, spark courage, and remind people they are not alone.

Every struggle in her life has shaped this mission. Dropping out of school taught resilience. Fighting for her sister taught her courage. Surviving domestic violence taught empathy. Losing her home taught her perseverance. And battling cancer taught her the power of purpose.

Anchal confesses that she doesn’t know how far this journey will reach. But she does know one thing — she has started. And starting is everything. One person’s determination can spark a movement. One act of kindness can ignite hope. One mission can change lives.

This journey is not about sympathy; it is about inspiration. It is proof that no matter how overwhelming life may seem, all have the power to turn challenges into something meaningful. Every setback can teach, and every hardship can lift others.

Through Meals of Happiness, Anchal has had the occasion to meet people who have lost everything yet continue to fight. She has seen courage in its purest form, resilience that defies odds, and hope that refuses to be extinguished. In serving them, she discovered her life’s truest calling — to celebrate life, restore hope, and empower those whose world feels dark.

You do not need resources, fame, or perfect circumstances to make a difference. Start small. Start today. Let your heart guide you. Because in the act of giving — in serving and spreading kindness — you will find your own strength, your own purpose, and your own wings.

Meals of Happiness is proof that even one person, armed with hope and determination, can create ripples that transform lives. And this is just the beginning.

Anchal presents a wonderful example of the Nexus of Good. What she has managed to accomplish with limited resources can be replicated and scaled, but it would require similar grit, determination, and a never-say-die spirit. It is this spirit that won her the Nexus of Good Annual Award, 2025.

Views expressed are personal. The writer is an author and a former civil servant