Meet the Woman Providing AED 3 meals to Low-Income Groups in the UAE

Ayesha Khan’s path to philanthropy was shaped by personal adversity. Having experienced severe hunger after the death of her father when she was just 17, Khan made a vow to save others from similar suffering.

An engineer by profession and a philanthropist at heart, she is now the force behind Food ATM, an Ajman-based initiative that provides affordable and nutritious meals to low-income workers.

Ayesha’s journey to philanthropy began long before the inception of Food ATM. Her early encounter with hardship ignited a deep-seated desire to make a difference in the lives of others. She moved to Dubai in 2006 and, after years of professional success, decided to dedicate her efforts to addressing food insecurity in the UAE.

“During my career as a professional, I used to share my food with some workers in my office. One day, a worker came up to me and showed me a picture of his child attending school. He said that thanks to my help, he was able to save money on food and send it home for his child’s education. I felt very humbled and emotional. That set [got] me thinking about how shallow our lives are sometimes. We only think along material terms and work for ourselves, but how many of us make that extra effort to do something for others?” she said in an interview with Gulf News.

In 2019, Ayesha launched Food ATM with the aim of providing meals priced between 50 fils to AED 3. The organization operates from multiple locations across Ajman, Sharjah, and Ras Al Khaimah, focusing on serving blue-collar workers and other low-income groups. Ayesha documents the journey and impact of Food ATM on her instagram account @foodatm_ajman.

Establishing Food ATM was no small feat. Ayesha had to pack up and start from scratch. “We lived in The Greens, an upscale community in Dubai. All that changed. I also sold my house in Mumbai and brought the money to Dubai in order to invest in my dream project: Providing low-cost, hygienic food to some hungry souls,” she told Gulf News.

She shared that her initial costs – including getting a commercial license, arranging facilities, salaries – came to Dh450,000. Soon after launch, the COVID-19 pandemic hit, bringing with it additional challenges, disrupting supply chains and increasing operational costs. Yet, Ayesha managed to sustain the initiative, making sure that meals remained affordable despite financial strains.

@foodatm_ajman on Instagram

Food ATM prepares eight different menus to choose from – including Pakistani, Indian, Nepali, and other South Asian cuisines. Typically, a packed meal comprises a box of biryani, a cup of yogurt, some pickles and a small cup of dessert — all for Dh3 only.As the name suggests, Food ATM distributes meals through cards. Individuals or companies sponsoring a worker have to pay for the meals in advance and the card is accordingly loaded with meal counts.

This ensures that an individual’s meals are sorted for the entire month.

croployaltyshopping_cartlocal_librarydelete@foodatm_ajman on Instagram

Today, Food ATM serves thousands of meals daily and has earned international acclaim. In May 2021, the initiative set a Guinness World Record by delivering 50,744 meals in just eight hours. Ayesha's work has also been recognized by various organizations, including the Ajman Chamber of Commerce and Microsoft.

@foodatm_ajman on Instagram

Ayesha remains at the forefront of the fight against food insecurity in the UAE. Moving to Dubai doesn't just have to be about achieving your dreams; it can also be about making a meaningful impact in the lives of others. Ayesha exemplifies this by dedicating herself to the welfare of others and making sure that, in her own words, “no one goes hungry.”