Arif Anis, a Pakistani humanitarian, is honored on King Charles’ birthday.
A million meals were started by Arif during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Arif Anis, a Pakistani author and humanitarian, has received official recognition on King Charles III’s list of honors for his first birthday.
King Charles’ first Official Birthday Honours List, which includes a long list of notable figures and famous people who have received the British monarch’s recognition for their meritorious contributions, was made public by Buckingham Palace.
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) has been awarded to renowned Pakistani author, leadership expert, and Express Bureau Chief Arif Anis for his humanitarian work.
In order to help individuals who were fighting the coronavirus pandemic on the front lines, Anis founded One Million Meals in March 2020. Suleman Raza and Bilal Saqib, two of Anis’ pals, and he started the project.
“The UK’s National Health Service was engaged in combat! Restaurants closed, and the workforce was understaffed. Seeing ambulance staff without food astounded me. Anis recalls, “I realized I had to do something.
David Beckham, Amir Khan, and The Proclaimers were among the famous people who supported the cause.
The effort fed the needy and important workers between April and July 2020.
“Covid-19 was a kick in the teeth, but we banded together,” says Arif with pride. Doctors and nurses both had tears in their eyes. We gave them a sense of worth. One Million Meals developed into a love tidal wave. Suleman was the first to pledge his support, and then the others did so.
Restaurants of many stripes, including Afro-Caribbean, Pakistani, Indian, and Bangladeshi restaurants, jumped on the gravy train. Even Boris Johnson gave the Points of Light Award to One Million Meals in May 2021.
Anis is a best-selling author, leadership expert, and coach to prominent members of the Fortune 500. He is a whirlwind on the international scene, speaking on crisis leadership and dealing with some of the most powerful people there.
“His Majesty was thrilled with the results of One Million Meals. The King said in his customary manner, “How interesting and how inspiring in such dark times.”
203 locations, including hospitals and NHS trusts, were included in the One Million Meals campaign’s expanded geographic reach.
The diversity of One Million Meals was represented. Heritages, languages, and cultures have a common goal, Arif muses. “We brought comfort and food to our front-line soldiers. Their sustenance comes from our food. It was merely a rallying call to show that humanity would not give up in the face of difficulty.
6% of the honorees on King Charles’ first official list of birthday honors are Asian.
