Transforming India through Digital Education

Every year on November 11, National Education Day is observed to honour Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, India’s first Minister of Education. He was a brilliant leader and thinker who made enormous contributions in the field of education.

We honour his achievements on this day and reaffirm our dedication to offering high-quality education to every child apart from feeding them. We also honour the numerous accomplishments of our students and teachers as well as the advancements made in India’s educational system. The significance of education as a human right and a driver of social change is also recognised on this day.

Apart from feeding children through the PM Poshan Abhiyaan (previously known as the Mid-Day Meal Scheme), Akshaya Patra has been a pioneer in promoting education among the underprivileged sections of the community. From creating opportunities for children to pursue quality education, the Foundation has continuously strived to eliminate classroom hunger and to provide the latest educational tools and techniques to children who have restricted access to opportunities.

Keeping up with the theme of National Education Day and in the quest to provide holistic development to children and support them to pursue their dreams, Akshaya Patra started its Digital Education Programme under the organisation’s Beyond The Meals initiative.

The initiative will provide students with access to digital devices and world-class digital learning platform with professionally curated content and equip teachers with tech-enabled teaching tools, to make teaching an interesting experience. It will also help aspiring medical and engineering students in their preparation for competitive exams such as NEET and JEE.

Let’s have a look at how the Digital Education Programme has impacted the lives of a few beneficiaries of The Akshaya Patra Foundation.

To contribute towards a child’s happier and brighter tomorrow, donate online!

Another Feather In The Cap – Mangalagiri Kitchen

Summary:

With the objective to benefit more and more children with the Mid-Day Meal Programme, The Akshaya Patra Foundation has been relentlessly striving to expand its reach. One if the recent developments is the inauguration of the Mangalagiri Kitchen in Andhra Pradesh. It is an addition to the existing eight kitchens in the state.

Body of content:

The Akshaya Patra Foundation has been implementing the Mid-Day Meal Scheme in India, now known as PM POSHAN Scheme, since 2000. The Foundation is cognisant that in its mission to feed the children, it has to consistently maintain high standards with regards to quality of meals, hygiene, cleanliness, and punctuality in preparing and delivering meals, each day. Hence, during the past 21 years, Akshaya Patra has been strategically and sustainably expanding its reach to provide regular nutritious school meals to children.

Overview of Akshaya Patra’s service

Akshaya Patra began serving children in the year 2000. As a first step, the Foundation provided nutritious meals to 1,500 children in five government schools in Bengaluru. Soon, it realised the pronounced need of these meals. Gradually, Akshaya Patra started spreading its wings beyond Bengaluru and Karnataka. Presently, the Foundation has a beneficiary base of 18,00,907 children studying in 19,039 government schools and government-aided schools. It runs both centralised and decentralised kitchens to feed the children in urban, semi-urban, and remote areas. Currently, Akshaya Patra kitchens are located in 60 locations across 14 States and 2 Union Territories.

About Mangalagiri Kitchen

• Launch & supporters: This is one of the recently launched centralised kitchens of Akshaya Patra. Honourable Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, Shri. Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy was the Chief Guest for the occasion and inaugurated the kitchen. Special guests at the event were Honourable Minister of Education, Shri Audimulapu Suresh; Honourable Minister of Finance & Planning, Shri Buggana Rajendranath Reddy; Honourable Chairman – TTD, Shri Y.V. Subba Reddy; Honourable Member of Parliament, Shri Lavu Srikrishna Devarayulu (MP – Rajya Sabha), and Honourable MLA, Shri Alla Rama Krishna Reddy. The event was presided by Shri Satya Gaura Chandra Dasa in the presence of Shri Madhu Pandit Dasa, Chairman – Akshaya Patra.

This kitchen is supported by the Airports Authority of India. Shri R. Madhavan, Regional Executive Director, and Shri P.V. Rao Directors – Airports Authority of India, were the guests of honour at the event. The patron guest for the event was Shri Sanjeev Kumar, IAS., Chairman – Airports Authority of India. Shri Buditha Rajasekhar, IAS., PS, Department of School Education AP, Shri Vivek Yadav, IAS., Collector & District Magistrate – Guntur, and Shri Arif Hafeez, IPS were the special invitees for the event.

• About the kitchen: This state-of-the-art centralised kitchen will provide nutritious school meals and impact the lives of more than 50,000 children. This will further the progress of the Mid-Day Meal Scheme in India. The kitchen is built on latest technology with gravitational technology as one of the main highlights. It has a Condensed Recovery System, Duracrete flooring, ETP for waste management, and fuel saving boiler as an eco-friendly measure.

• Meal menu & delivery: Akshaya Patra will be serving as per the Jagananna Gorumudda Scheme so that it continues to adhere to the dietary norms while serving the local palate. A fleet of 15 vehicles will deliver the food to schools in insulated containers which can maintain the temperature of food for more than 6 hours.

Support Akshaya Patra’s endeavour:

The Mid-Day Meal Scheme in India has been a potential intervention in the education sector. It has positively impacted the health, academic, and overall development of children. The meal programme has resulted in increased enrolment rate, attendance, and performance of the children. Help Akshaya Patra to continue to feed the children and create nourished and nurtured generations. You can donate directly, conduct fundraising campaigns, or join as a CSR partner. You can also spread the word in your social network. In conclusion, donate to NGO, nourish children and save tax while you engage in doing good

I Am Destined To Be An Achiever – Hope Story Of A Girl Child

The Mid-Day Meal Scheme in India is the world’s largest school meal programme. In the past more than two decades of its implementation, this scheme has remarkably impacted the education scenario in the country with regards to enrolment, attendance, and completion of school education. The objective of this scheme is to provide nutritious lunch to children in government schools and government-aided schools. Studies reveal that regular consumption of mid-day meals positively impacted health and learning outcomes of children.

The Mid-Day Meal Scheme in India has not only contributed to nutrition and education of children hailing from socio-economically weaker sections of the society, but also instilled hope and given wings to their aspirations.

This is one core reason why many NGOs totalling over 400 are implementing this scheme in their own capacities. Among them is The Akshaya Patra Foundation that has been nourishing children since 2000. This NGO in India has been consistently serving nutritious school meals with the aim to expand its reach to benefit more children. Currently, it provides daily school meals to 18,00,907 children studying in 19,039 government schools and government-aided schools across 60 locations in 14 States and 2 Union Territories.

“I am destined to be an achiever” – these words of determination
reflect the power of one nutritious meal per school day.

Meet Sneha, a 13-year-old beneficiary of Akshaya Patra studying in Standard VIII, M.P. Prathamika Pathashala in Telangana’s Mehboobnagar. For a child of her age, she is fearless, but that stems from hardships she has witnessed with a father who is an alcoholic. In her words, “My father comes home drunk every day. On the days when he does not return, I let my mother stay home and I go in search of him. It’s a dark and dingy place where he goes to drink, but I do not fear that place anymore. I am no more the timid girl who got shouted at by my father and helplessly watched my mother getting berated.”

After suffering silently for many years, Sneha received support from her teachers and friends. This gave her the strength to take a firm stand against her father and now she constantly reminds him of his responsibilities towards the family. This has made her father cautious of his actions. Sneha says, “My circumstances at home have taught me many lessons. It has made me an independent girl and I do not depend on my father or mother for anything. If I can walk seven kilometres daily to school, then I can do anything on my own.”

For Sneha, school is her getaway place where she finds the peace that’s missing at home and school meals are her energy boosters. She relishes her school meals with her friends and her all-time favourites are vegetable sambar and rice.

Talking about her aspiration, Sneha says, “I don’t want anybody to become like my father who left the family to suffer. Everyone needs a guide to tell or inspire them to do good or carry out their duties properly. That’s why I want to be a teacher. I want to guide children and mould them into better human beings. I want to teach them to perform their duties well.”

School is a place that children like Sneha look forward to every morning,
not just for education, but for support and nutrition too.

The Mid-Day Meal Scheme in India has been the key reason in bringing children from challenging backgrounds to school. Once at school, they get the opportunity to learn, eat nutritious food, and give shape to their ambitions.

Sneha was just one story of determination among lakhs. And as a mid-day meal NGO in India, Akshaya Patra wants to serve as many children as possible. Step in to support by instantly contributing an online donation. Your contribution will create an empowered generation by enabling children to achieve their ambitions and it will avail you tax exemption too (applicable for donations of ₹500 and above).

What Republic day means to children

India celebrates its 73^rd Independence Day on 26^th January 2022 like every other day amid the crisis. On this day, the Indian Constitution came into existence in 1950. The Constitution of India is a huge document that lays down the powers, duties, fundamental rights, procedures and directive principles of The Government of India and its citizens

Celebrations of Republic Day in India

• The Republic Day parade is the star of the show
• The President of the country hoists the flag, presents bravery awards to citizens of India
• The Prime Minister of India pays homage to all the soldiers who have lost their lives in the wars
• The three divisions of the Indian Armed Forces – Air Force, Navy and Indian Army, lead the parade and is followed by a rally of marching soldiers, aircraft shows, military bands, etc.

Communities, apartments, associations, schools, etc. hoist flags in their premises to remember and honour the day that the Constitution was adopted.

Republic Day in schools of India

Republic Day is a day when children of Government and Government-aided schools get something more than midday meals. It is a special day for young children which is celebrated with great zeal and enthusiasm. Children enact the roles of being freedom fighters, participate in debates favouring these brave souls and sing in their praise.  

Though children might be hesitant to come to schools on a national holiday, most of them come for something special. Apart from midday meals, children also wait for sweets to be distributed as sweets and snacks are a luxury for these children who hardly get to eat one square meal a day. In some places, it is the day where an NGO in India might take care of the food and snacks of one or two schools, while others make children aware of their history and freedom fighters.

Children who come to school and enjoy it everyday

For some children, coming to school is an absolute necessity. School is the only place that helps them think, learn and achieve as the situations in their house does not permit them to exceed. Coming to school guarantees that they are not becoming victims of child labour and that they become educated enough to become self-dependent. Midday meals provided at schools ensure that they come back to school every single day and Republic Day is a special occasion for these children.

Sachin wants to be a Pilot

Growing from being a malnourished child who did not have any energy and zeal to do anything in life to becoming a sharp child who takes part in all curricular activities, 9-year-old Sachin wants to become a Pilot and make lots of money for his parents. He gives all the credit for his betterment to his teachers, friends and one specific NGO in India that served school meals every day.

Sujita wants to become a doctor

Having no parents to raise her does not make her feel vulnerable; Sujita was raised by her grandfathers. Though they can’t give everything, they enrolled her to a school that could give wings to her dreams. All her food needs are taken care of by her school in Silvassa. She loves coming to school as it keeps her focused to learn and work towards achieving her dreams of becoming a doctor.

Prajesh wants to be a Prime Minister

Prajesh is a young boy who is a huge fan of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. Very focused on achieving his dreams, he wants to do a lot for the nation. He does not miss even one day of school as he does not want to be diverted in his studies. Food and education was something very important to him after moving from Bareilly to Daman and he was very happy.

A few common things in these children – they have dreams and eat school meals provided by one NGO in India – The Akshaya Patra Foundation.

To read more such stories of children, click here.

Akshaya Patra is an NGO that serves school meals to children coming from challenging socio-economic backgrounds. It is renowned for running the world’s largest NGO run school lunch programme, serving freshly cooked nutritious mid-day meals to over 1.8 million children in 19,039 schools of 14 states & 1 union territory of India. For the last 21 years, it has been serving nutritious and locally palatable meals to school children studying in Government and Government-aided schools.

There are many such students who need the support of midday meals to come to schools everyday. Let’s support their food and education with this NGO in India that implements the midday meal scheme in India.

John F Kennedy’s historic words were, “Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.” This Republic Day, let’s support the dreams of young children who dream big in life. Donate online to Akshaya Patra to reach out to more children who need support.

How can Section 80G benefit you? 

Charitable organisations give a platform for you to engage in humanitarian services as well as appreciates your noble work by making you eligible for tax exemption too.

Non-profit and charitable organisations work at the ground level to serve underprivileged communities in a sustainable way. This makes the service of NPOs, NGOs, and charitable organisations impactful and tangible, paving way for lasting change. The work of charitable organisations includes socio-environmental issues such as empowerment, equality, healthcare, education, poverty, hunger, climate change, water conservation, animal welfare, etc. These organisations greatly depend on the support of donors and sponsors for monetary aid to carry out their operations and expand their reach. To encourage individuals and for-profit organisations to support the efforts of NGOs, the government has made the provision of tax exemption donation.

No matter which country you are a citizen of, you have to pay tax to the government if you are salaried or self-employed individual or run a business. The tax collected by the government is utilised for healthcare, public utility services, management of defence forces, and various welfare projects for the citizens. As per the tax policies in India, you can receive exemption from paying taxes based on certain investment criterions such as housing loan, life insurance, medical insurance, etc. In addition, upon donating to charitable organisations, you can also become eligible to receive tax exemption as per the Section 80G of the Income Tax Act of India. While this provision clearly reinstates the importance of ‘giving back to the society’ and supports philanthropic contributions, it is important that as a donor you must ensure that the NGO you are donating to is a registered organisation and is eligible to provide you tax exemption. You must also note that depending on the cause and work of the charitable organisations, you may either receive 100% exemption or 50% exemption on your donated amount. When you donate, it helps the beneficiary NGO in its operations and makes a positive impact in the lives of the beneficiaries of the NGO or on the mission of the NGO.

But did you know that Section 80G has multiple benefits for you too!

• First, it makes you eligible to receive tax exemption.
• Second, it upholds the values of compassion and generosity,
• Third, it facilitates the action of ‘giving back to the society’. 
• Fourth, it makes you a part of the solution.
• Fifth, as you participate in the upliftment and welfare initiatives, it makes you the ‘agent of change’.

As is said, ‘every drop makes the ocean’, similarly, every bit of your support adds to the larger good of the society along with qualifying your contribution for tax exemption donation. Among many NGOs, The Akshaya Patra Foundation is one charity that is known for its 21 years of relentless service, financial transparency, and credibility. This is one of the most reputed mid-day meal NGOs in India nourishing 18,00,907 children studying in 19,039 government and government-aided schools across 58 locations in 13 States and 1 Union Territory.

Your contribution to this non-profit organisation makes the much-needed mid-day meals available to children on each school day. This greatly contributes to their nutrition requirement, health, and education. The meals promote better concentration, improves attendance and reduces drop-out rate. Regular schooling enables children to step towards their aspirations with added enthusiasm, determination, and confidence. As Akshaya Patra is a registered charity, your contribution of ₹500 and above qualifies for tax exemption donation too.

In conclusion, when you spare a moment to donate to NGO, you make a huge difference in the society. So, nurture your philanthropic self and get rewarded for your good deed in the form of tax exemption!

NGO battling hunger through midday meal – 1500/- for a child

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!

Observing World Food Day with Akshaya Patra

Celebrate world food day with akshaya patra

On the occasion of World Food Day, there is a need to reiterate the necessity of better nutrition which enables better life. Food is the essence of life. It sustains and nourishes. And everyone deserves an adequate amount of food.

Despite the progress and development in every sphere, unfortunately, there is a vast disparity between the haves and the have-nots in this world. With the distress caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the gap has further widened. Amongst the many issues, hunger is a critical one especially in a country like India. According to an FAO report in 2020, 189.2 million people are undernourished in India. By this measure, 14% of the population is undernourished in India. 

Amongst all, children are the most vulnerable to the risk of hunger and malnutrition. Therefore, many NGOs in India are working hard to feed the children and alleviate hunger. One of them is an NGO called Akshaya Patra. The NGO works tirelessly to feed the children studying in government schools across the country with school lunches every day to address malnutrition and classroom hunger. 

Akshaya Patra provides school lunch to feed the children every day for more than two decades. During times of food insecurity caused by natural disasters or a pandemic, the NGO has been undertaking food relief efforts across India to feed the hungry apart from its endeavour to feed the children. It is an attempt to help marginalised and vulnerable sections of society get access to adequate food and retain a life of dignity. So, this World Food Day you can be part of the effort to feed the hungry by making an online donation.

Under the shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic, the need to ensure better nutrition for a better life for these children and the people at large is even greater now. In observance of World Food Day, you can feed the hungry across the country by contributing with online donations.

What will happen when you donate online to an NGO?

You will see that children get a nutritious and safe meal every day or a hungry person receives food for relief. Yes, you are fighting for a hunger-free world when you donate online to the NGO. A healthy meal to these children will have a multiplier impact that leads to a better tomorrow and a healthy meal to a hungry person is hope.

Why you shouldn’t miss World Food Day on 16 October to donate online to an NGO in India, that is committed to feed the hungry as well as feed the children?

The objective of this NGO in India is to make sure nobody is left out hungry. The efforts can only be sustained with people’s participation. Making an online donation is one of the ways of participation. Think about the people you can be helping when they receive a nutritious and safe meal. Think about the children’s smiles when they have a good wholesome school lunch. Donate online to bridge the gap between the haves and the have-nots. Here is your chance to observe World Food Day with Akshaya Patra. Join the fight against hunger with an online donation and ensure better nutrition is available to all. 

Spreading joy to school children for 20 years

The smiles on the faces of children, their chitter-chatter and the eyes that constantly look out for the blue delivery vans, are what keeps The Akshaya Patra Foundation going. What started as feeding 1,500 children in five Government schools of Bengaluru, Karnataka has grown to be recognised as the pioneer mid-day meal NGOs in India. The Foundation feeds the children who hail from challenging socio-economic backgrounds with nutritious school meals.

The foundation feeds children studying in 19,039 Government and Government-aided schools from its centralised and decentralised kitchens. As a part of the Mid-Day Meal Programme, locally palatable meals are served in 52 locations spread across 12 States and 2 Union Territories of India.

To know more about Akshaya Patra’s state-of-the-art kitchens, click here.

Akshaya Patra operates on a Public-Private Partnership model and has fed 1.8 million children every day without a break for the last 20 years. With the vision that ‘No child in India shall be deprived of education because of hunger,’ the organisation feeds with support from the Government of India, State Governments, corporate partners and philanthropic partners.

By implementing the Mid-Day Meal Programme, it aims to bring change by:

• Improving the nutritional status of children
• Helping children to attend school regularly
• Providing physical and cognitive development

However, this year’s anniversary is a tad bit different. A mandate was issued for the closure of schools to curb the spread of COVID-19 amongst children. With schools being shut, mid-day meals were not being served. As a result of which, nutritional levels of children dropped drastically and they significantly lost weight. To continue its service towards children, The Akshaya Patra Foundation initiated the Happiness Kits Programme.

To read about Akshaya Patra’s COVID-19 Relief Service, click here.

Happiness Kits are distributed to every mid-day meal beneficiary to support their health, immunity, hygiene and education. Every child receives glucose biscuits, jaggery, peanuts, ragi flour and spices to support their health and boost immunity. To encourage hygiene practices in children, every mid-day meal beneficiary is provided with a toothbrush, toothpaste, soap and sanitary pack (for girls). Educational supplies are also provided to each school child that comprises of activity workbooks and stationeries.

To know about Akshaya Patra’s Happiness Kits initiatives and feed the children, click here.

You can be a part of the 20^th year anniversary celebrations by joining Akshaya Patra in its feeding initiatives. Extend your support to feed the needy people of India and upkeep health and education of mid-day meal beneficiaries.

Our Latest Video: Bringing Education Closer to Communities

Akshaya Patra provides midday meal to 1.8 million+ children across India

Midday meal is a provision made by the Government of India to provide cooked meals to school children studying in Government schools and Government-aided schools. This initiative is the largest school meal programme in the world.

To maximise the benefits of this programme, Government has partnered with NGOs to mobilise community support and reach children even at the grassroot level. One of the pioneer NGOs that stepped in as an implementing partner for the Mid-Day Meal Scheme is The Akshaya Patra Foundation. A non-profit organization (NPO) in India, Akshaya Patra has been providing freshly cooked, nutritious, and locally palatable meals to children for the past 19 years. Akshaya Patra is headquartered in Bengaluru with a PAN India reach.

Akshaya Patra was established in 2000 with the vision,
‘No child in India shall be deprived of education because of hunger’.

During the initial days, this children NGO provided meals to 1,500 children in five Government schools in Bengaluru. Witnessing the critical need of this meal in supporting schooling of children, Akshaya Patra gradually expanded its programme to other locations. In the meantime, the Supreme Court of India also read out a landmark mandate on 28 November 2001 stating, “We direct the State Governments/Union Territories to implement the Mid-Day Meal Scheme by providing every child in every Government and Government assisted Primary School with a prepared mid-day meal.” This mandate was a welcome progression for Akshaya Patra and this non-profit organization (NPO) in India partnered with the Government to implement the Mid-Day Meal Scheme.

Today, Akshaya Patra takes care of daily school meals of
1.8 million+ children across India.

By operating in a public-private partnership model, which has also been recognised as one of the best replicable models, this children NGO expanded its operations from one location to 51 locations. Currently, it has its own kitchens and delivery logistics across 12 states and 2 Union Territories to prepare and deliver midday meals to schools. All its kitchens follow industry standard operating processes with utmost adherence to cleanliness and hygiene practices.

Midday meal is a great incentive for families belonging to challenging socio-economic backgrounds to send their children to school.

Over the years, it has been observed that the school meals open the gates of school for children who would have to otherwise work to earn a square meal. The midday meals have:

• increased school enrolment
• regularised attendance
• decreased drop-out rate
• improved health of children
• boosted academic performance
• supported continuity of schooling

Support this non-profit organization (NPO) in India to reach more children with nutritious school meals. Your support will uphold health, education, and dreams of millions of children across India.

Feeding initiatives implemented by Akshaya Patra in India

Food first, everything else comes later! We all will agree to this.

Food is the basic necessity of any living thing, and so is true for humans too! We all have experienced hunger at some point or the other. We have also experienced the repercussions of staying hungry – low energy, tiredness, inability to concentrate or focus, unproductive, and health issues such as headache, gastric, acidity and so on. And these are the conditions we may undergo for missing out may be a meal or two. Then, imagine those who go hungry every single day! Yes, hunger is a much bigger problem than we can comprehend.

The cause of hunger varies ranging from socio-economic backgrounds to natural or man-made disasters. To tackle this situation, world organisations, governments of countries, and non-governmental organisations have intervened at various levels. Yet, hunger remains a persistent problem. Amidst all the strides made around the world, The Akshaya Patra Foundation, a non-governmental organisation in India is also making efforts to combat hunger among children and disaster-hit survivors.

Akshaya Patra implements the Mid-Day Meal Programme in partnership with the Government of India. Established in 2000, it is one of the oldest mid-day meal NGOs in the country. Through this programme, Akshaya Patra provides free school lunch to children studying in Government schools and Government-aided schools. Presently, the NGO feeds 1,765,436 children in 16,785 schools situated in 49 locations of 12 States and 1 Union Territory namely Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan, Silvassa, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Tripura, and Uttar Pradesh.

Aside from the Mid-Day Meal Programme, this charitable trust in India also provides nutritious food in Anganwadi centres and has been a part of several disaster relief operations within and beyond the Indian boundaries.

 

Together, we can battle the hunger crisis and defeat it too. Support non-governmental organisations in India like Akshaya Patra because these organisations not only fill hungry stomachs but also nurture children right from the beginning. They also extend a helping hand to disaster-affected people during the hour of crisis. When you support to feed the children or contribute towards disaster relief feeding, you truly uphold the spirit of humanity.

Everyone has equal right to food.

So, take a step to support those who lack the means to access it.