Hunger, in general, limits people from attaining their full potential. When hunger dwells in children, it blocks them from reaching school and keeps them entangled in the poverty-hunger-illiteracy cycle.
Lack of resources and socio-economically challenging backgrounds makes hunger a part of life for millions of people. Among them are children, who are filled with dreams and aspirations, but are held back due to hunger pangs. Many NGOs across the world and in India are addressing the hunger situation in various ways. The Akshaya Patra Foundation is one of the pioneer NGOs in India to address hunger among school-going children by implementing the Midday Meal Programme in a public private partnership model.This programme is a huge boon for children hailing from socio-economically challenging backgrounds. The meals not only satiate their hunger, but also supports education in a significant way.
It has been observed that parents send their children to school due to the assurance that the children will receive at least one full meal for the day. This opens the doorway to a whole new world for children to learn and grow. Impact studies reveal that regular intake of midday meals positively impacts health and learning abilities in school children. Hence, as a midday meal NGO in India, Akshaya Patra makes sure that they serve nutritious meals to all its beneficiaries on each school day. The Foundation has partnered with the Central Government of India and various State Governments to benefit more and more children across the country.
Akshaya Patra not only addresses hunger, but hidden hunger too!
Hidden hunger is caused due to deficiency of essential vitamins and micronutrients. It affects billions of people worldwide and is a cause of concern for national and international organisations. Unbalanced or poor diet that lacks nutrition is the main reason behind hidden hunger and can adversely affect children and adults. So, it’s not only about tackling hunger, but hidden hunger too. Often times, the diet of the marginalised sections is based on staple food such as rice, wheat, maize, potato, etc. that are easily available and affordable. Though these food items fill the stomach, they lack in vitamins and minerals. So, as an implementor of the Midday Meal Programme, Akshaya Patra takes utmost care to provide wholesome and nutrient-rich meals to school children.
To ensure every meal meets the nutritional requirement, Akshaya Patra adheres to the dietary norms of the Central Mid-Day Meal Scheme. As a midday meal NGO in India, Akshaya Patra aims to ensure that every child consumes their daily school meals readily and receives adequate nutrition. So, the Foundation follows a locally palatable cyclic menu. The recipes of Akshaya Patra contains a variety of cereals, pulses, green leafy vegetables, seasonal vegetables, fruits, curd, as well as milk-based sweets.
The efforts of Akshaya Patra in the battle against hunger gets mirrored in the myriad of ambitions and strong willpower of 18,00,907 children studying in 19,039 schools across 58 locations of 13 States and 1 Union Territory.
Join the battle against hunger and give children the opportunity they deserve. Support this NGO in India to bring more children under its umbrella of service. By contributing an online donation of ₹1500, you can instantly safeguard a child from classroom hunger for an entire year as well as support their health, education, and aspiration. In addition, you will also become an active contributor for the larger good of the world. When you uphold health and right to education of children, you directly help in attaining UN SDGs – Quality Education, Zero Hunger, Good Health & Well-being, Decent Work & Economic Growth, and No Poverty.
You are just a click away from creating impact through Midday Meal Programme. Act now!
The Akshaya Patra Foundation 