KYO has been buying and importing goods from India for more than 13 years and after many trips back and forth, Paul Taylor and John Sutton decided it was time to give something back.
They began Future Hope, an initiative to help feed some of Delhi’s homeless.
“They do more to look after their homeless than what we do,” Paul Taylor explains.
“They do what they can, but there just isn’t enough to go around.”
Future Hope supplies a weekly meal for around 250 to 300 homeless people in the Indian capital, which has a population of around 26 million.
“I’ve been out a few times on the meal run and it’s pretty inspiring – they’re desperate for fresh water and food,” Paul says.
“It was very daunting the first time. I went out on the very first run and they are so desperate they were clamouring over the vehicle. It was impossible to get them to queue up so we had to keep the van moving from spot to spot.
“But now they know of us and they know we are coming every week and it’s a lot more orderly.
“People were asking for multiple meals and we thought it might have been because they were greedy, but it was to give to people who couldn’t come to the van.”
Future Hope prepares 300 meals consisting of rice and vegetables and fresh drinking water each Wednesday and delivers every one of them the following day. In winter, they will also deliver beanies, scarves and blankets.
KYO Yoga has a yoga class where participants make a donation. All donations go to Future Hope. You can also donate at KYO itself. Every cent of KYO’s delivery fees go straight to the charity as well.
“We know we’re not even scratching the surface,” Paul says.
“There are thousands and thousands of people who are homeless over there, but it feels good to give something back.
“They are inspiring people. They don’t seem to complain. I get inspired by them. They seem to find something good in every day whether it’s playing a game of cricket or getting that meal, they are just grateful for the good things so it grounds me and makes me appreciate what we’ve got here.
“It teaches you to be grateful for everything whether it’s fresh water, a roof over your heads or food in your stomach. Three essential things we take for granted.”
KYO also employs half a dozen divorced or widowed women, who are often outcasts in Indian society.
“We may as well get people who haven’t got jobs to do this so they make a range of necklaces and bracelets and we sell those in the shop and all the money goes back to the charity.
“It gives five or six women a couple of day’s work each week which really makes a difference to their lives.”
KYO (pronounced key-o) started more than 20 years ago and has grown from one small shed to three huge warehouses selling furniture and homewares from all around the world. It’s almost a tourist destination in itself such is its popularity.
You can find KYO at 26 Smithton Grove. See kyo.net.au/ or find them on Facebook.
