Experience the Joy of Giving this Daan Utsav

Atithi Devo Bhava is a practice in Indian society where a guest is treated with the utmost respect. The hosts provide them with the best experience while they spend time with each other, by offering them food, clothes, etc. It is a form of social service that has existed since ancient times. Giving is considered to be auspicious and people are also aware of the bliss that comes with being helpful to others’ needs.

To continue the age-old tradition of giving to the underprivileged or people who need some form of help, Daan Utsav is observed from 2-8 October every year. This week has been celebrated since the time it was first started in 2009 and was called the Joy of Giving week. It is a perfect time to fill someone’s life with loads of happiness and get content in return for doing good for the underprivileged. It is a week of enthusiasm where people from all walks of life come together for a single cause – GIVING.

Daan Utsav is celebrated in many places across India like Bhuj, Sancoale, Aluva, Mysuru, Imphal, Jammu and Sukma.

What Daan Utsav for different people

Individuals, corporates, the Government, non-profit organisations, institutions, volunteers, communities and the general public. To raise awareness about this week, celebrities also join hands with one or the other NGO in India and take out time to play, dance and sing with people from challenging backgrounds during press releases, inaugurations, book launches, school annual functions, association parties, etc.

No matter who it is, life is all about giving and even domestic workers, street vendors and washerwomen give when they have or receive. Nobody wants to get left behind, everyone wants to receive the endless joy of giving. So is the case with school children too. Donation campaigns are conducted in schools where they bring old books, stationeries, etc.

There is no better time to turn your kindness into actions of donating resources, money, time, food or time or skills to the have-nots, than this festival of philanthropy!

Donate to NGOs on Daan Utsav

During Daan Utsav, NGOs conduct collection camps, on various events that:

• organise therapies for children with special needs
• train youth to get skill-based jobs
• raise funds to train unemployed people
• feed the hungry and malnourished people
• bring various opportunities in all fields to marginalised communities.

The Akshaya Patra Foundation is a trusted NGO in India that has been serving nutritious meals to school children coming from low-income sections for the last 21 years. What started off with a kitchen that fed 1,500 children in Bengaluru, is now 65 kitchens strong that feeds close to 2 million children every day. Apart from its flagship programme that will feed the hungry school children in Government schools, it also takes care of the nutrition of pregnant and lactating mothers as nutrition is of utmost importance during the early years of child development.

Apart from running the Anganwadi Programme, the Foundation runs other programmes that you can support this Daan Utsav.

PM Poshan Abhiyaan

To eliminate classroom hunger, help children focus and cater to their nutritional requirements, Akshaya Patra implements the school feeding programme under the Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman (PM POSHAN Abhiyaan, formerly known as the Mid-Day Meal Programme).

Anganwadi Feeding Programme

Akshaya Patra provides adequate nutrition to nursing and would-be mothers so that they and their children are well nourished right during the early days of life. Under this programme, children under the age group of 6 years get daily nourishment in the form of meals.

Homeless Mothers Feeding Programme

Homeless mothers are wives or mothers who have lost their husbands and are not living with their families; they are either abandoned by their first circle or by their children and do not have a place to live. Akshaya Patra’s Homeless Mothers Feeding Programme provides meals to these women who are trying to make ends meet. The programme is currently active in Vrindavan.

Breakfast Programme

The Indian Medical Association and the Indian Academy of Pediatrics have advocated for a free breakfast programme where students will be provided with a healthy breakfast each school day. Akshaya Patra’s pilot Breakfast Programme was initiated in Hosur, Tamil Nadu in 2017. The breakfast offered in school acts as an incentive for children to enrol and attend regularly.

Your contribution matters

Become a part of Akshaya Patra’s donor family by choosing to support a programme of your choice. Donate online to make a difference in the lives of people in need.

This Daan Utsav, pull someone out of distress.
Set an example with your generosity.
Lift the lives of underprivileged people.

Celebrating DaanUtsav – Experience the Joy of Giving

Have you ever experienced the ‘Joy of Giving’? If you haven’t, here is your chance─ this week, from 2 to 8 October, India is celebrating DaanUtsav or The Joy of Giving Week also known as ‘festival of philanthropy’.  It’s an annual celebration engaging people from all walks of life ranging from corporate sectors to NGOs and government sectors to schools, colleges and the general mass. People exercise the act of giving their resources, money, skills and time to support those in need. Though there are several things you can do to assist someone, here is helping you find a few.

Food Assistance

As the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown put millions of people from marginalised society at the risk of hunger, this issue needs to be addressed. Migrant workers, daily wagers, rough sleepers, slum dwellers, residents at old age homes, frontline health workers, homeless widows, children and many more are in need of a nourishing meal every day. NGOs work to provide and meet this basic necessity across India. So, DaanUtsav gives you that opportunity to donate to NGO and feed the needy. You can participate by contributing to an NGO in Bangalore, if you reside in the city or any other organisations of repute that corresponds to your location.

NGO works on a need-based approach and provide cooked meals or various forms of ration kits designed to meet specific requirements. This joy of giving week, you can explore the options to donate to NGO and reach out to the vulnerable population in India.

Serving Cooked Meals

There is an NGO in Bangalorethat serves cooked meals to vulnerable communities across India since the onset of the pandemic. In the effort to feed the needy, so far, over 8.71 crore freshly cooked meals have been served to millions of people. To carry on the effort, you can donate to NGO and experience the joy of giving this DaanUtsav.

Distributing Essential Grocery Boxes

To ensure that people from marginalised sections of society across India have access to adequate food items, essential grocery boxes are distributed by Akshaya Patra . Each box contains enough ration to cook 42/28 meals (depending on the state of distribution). Over 14.10 lakh boxes have been distributed so far.

Do you think you can donate to NGOand make sure someone is safe from hunger?

Giving Happiness Kits

As you know, schools were closed to ensure the safety for children during the pandemic. But, the children needed proper nutrition. Therefore ‘Happiness Kits’ was designed to meet children’s nutritional requirement as well as encourage continuous learning. One Happiness Kit contains ration to make 20 meals. It also has glucose biscuits, basic hygiene supplies, stationery items and books.

This DaanUtsav, why not experience the joy of giving by gifting a happiness kit to a child?

Support with Family Happiness Kits

As an NGO in Bangalore, Akshaya Patra also designed a special kit called ‘Family Happiness Kit’ to support an average family of four. A kit has enough ingredientsfor 120 meals as well as stationery items, basic hygiene supplies (including masks and sanitary pads) and COVID-19 awareness booklet. 

How about giving a box of hope to a family this DaanUtsav?

Raksha or Shakti Kits

NGO works to reduce vaccine hesitancy through incentivised vaccine drives. People from marginalised communities are offered ‘Raksha Kit’, which contains ration for 21 meals, after taking their vaccine shot. Here is a chance to protect someone from COVID-19 as well as hunger.

Or you can opt to donate to NGO and help an expecting mother with a ‘Shakti Kit’. One kit has nutritional supplements for 42 days,to support a malnourished pregnant woman.

Mid-meal for school children

With situations improving, schools have started to reopen in a few states. Besides it, the Mid-Day Meal Programme has resumed to make sure children are provided freshly cooked, hot, nutritious and safe lunch every day. You can help this NGO in Bangalore continue serving the children of India.

The list can go on. The idea is to ensure someone gets a decent meal with dignity. Food is the most basic and critical of needs, and millions are unable to have access or afford a square meal. That’s a reality!

You can start a change or join a change this Daan Utsav. And the Joy of Giving is just a bonus!

Daan Utsav 2020, NGOs in India and You

Giving back to the society has been encouraged time and again. People have joined hands with each other and with various NGOs to bring about a change in communities and the nation as a whole. To make bigger impacts, many individuals and several NGOs in India came together and decided to launch ‘India Giving Week’ in 2009. By 2013, this festival grew manifold and it was necessary to give it a name that was easily understood by everyone. Hence, in 2014, the Joy of Giving Week was renamed as Daan Utsav.

2020 is the 12^th year of Daan Utsav and it is celebrated all over India between 2^nd October and 8^th October. Through online donations and support from various corporate partners, organisations have been able to help the poor and marginalised sections of the society with clothes, education, healthcare, meals, etc. The Akshaya Patra Foundation is an NGO in India that works towards its core cause of providing mid-day meals to children in 12 States and 2 Union territories of India.

Apart from serving free school meals to children, the Foundation provides food aid to disaster-struck victims. Amidst the ongoing crisis of COVID-19, the Foundation is serving freshly cooked meals and distributing grocery kits to the poor and marginalised sections of the society. As of 8^th September, a cumulative of 8.2-crore meals have been served to daily-wage workers, labourers, needy people at old age homes and night shelters.

From the COVID-19 beneficiaries

14-year-old Shaheen avails hot and nutritious khichdi, prepared in a safe and hygienic manner by the Akshaya Patra Foundation. She says, “My father does not have a job after the lockdown was announced. It is very difficult for him to feed four of us at home. We do not have the money to buy oil, gas or dry groceries. These meals have eased all our worries, especially of my father.”

Anandi lives alone in Mumbai after losing her husband. During the pandemic, she was not able to work as a domestic help. With no savings and money lenders constantly pressurising her to pay back the loan amount, she found it difficult to handle the situation. She says, “My situation was worsening by the day. I had given up hope that things will get better. Just then, I received the grocery kit from Akshaya Patra. I am happy that I can save some money to pay back the loan amount.”

To continue its service towards children, Akshaya Patra has started serving Happiness Kits to its mid-day meal beneficiaries. Presently, the Happiness Kits Programme is being carried out in Bengaluru, Jigani, Hyderabad, Thane, Silvassa, Jaipur, Vadodara, Lucknow, Vrindavan and Guwahati. To support all its beneficiaries in other locations, the programme is being carried out in a phase-wise manner.

What the parents of mid-day meal beneficiaries say

Jila is a resident of Bengaluru whose salary was cut by 50% due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With three children, a son and two daughters to feed at home, he and his wife found it difficult to make ends meet. He says, “We were worried about running out of food. This Happiness Kit has truly made us happy. Now we don’t have to be scared that our children will go hungry and they also get stationery and books to learn, which they missed.”

This Daan Utsav 2020, provide support to the needy people in the form of cooked meals, grocery kits and happiness kits. Help the people from low-income sections of the society cope with the pandemic.

Ensure well-being of those in need. This Daan Utsav, support Akshaya Patra’s food relief efforts.

Be a Child’s Santa this Christmas | Sponsor a Child

Christmas season is here which also means it’s time to give something back to society! While we all get busy looking for best Christmas gift ideas for our friends and family, Akshaya Patra has one compassionate idea that will leave you with pride! How about sponsoring a child’s meal for an entire year? And what if we told you Rs 950 covers the cost of meals for an entire year?

In the midst of everything that’s on this planet, children teach us the meaning of innocence, spark a lot of fun and are the most curious little beings. Unfortunately, not all children get a fair chance to experience freedom. Unfortunately, some children are not even students. Akshaya Patra touches upon these lives by given them one basic need which is also the source of everyone’s survival – food. The organisation provides nutritious mid-day meals to children in government and aided schools thus encouraging children to enroll in school and continue their education.

To ensure more children receive food and education through this charity for children, you can make a thoughtful donation to Akshaya Patra: sponsor a child. By donating, you will receive 100% tax exemption as per Section 80G of Income Tax Act. But we’d also like to tell you that this is not just a contribution but an attempt to transform a young life and give them the freedom to dream big.

If there’s more you would like to do for children, you can try creating charity fundraising campaigns on our website in a few simple steps. The funds received from online fundraising campaigns help us reach out to more children. This Christmas, while you wait for your gift to be kept under the Christmas tree, why don’t you make it special for a child by being his or her Santa? Gift a child an uninterrupted education by making a donation of Rs 950!

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Akshaya Patra, NGO for children head quartered in Bengaluru, is present across 11 states in India. Every day, the Foundation reaches out to over 1.6 million children with nutritious mid-day meals to ensure their school attendance is not affected due to hunger. You can sponsor a child and receive 100% tax exemption as per section 80G of income tax act.

Celebrating Daan Utsav 2016

Daan Utsav – Joy of Giving Week 2016 is here! This week-long event brings many individuals a step closer to donate to charity and helps in making a difference in society. Through noble acts of giving, India’s biggest philanthropic festival inculcates kindness among all of us.

There’s a lot we can do to witness change and we believe change begins with you. Joy of Giving Week is one such platform that gives you opportunities to donate, make a difference and take with you a lasting pride of having contributed to society. Happiness is, after all, an act of giving.

About Akshaya Patra

The Akshaya Patra Foundation, a Bengaluru-based children’s NGO, spreads joy with every meal served. After implementing its Mid-Day Meal Programme in 2000, the organisation’s beneficiary base has increased from 1,500 children to over 1.6 million children. In the last 16 years of its compassionate journey, Akshaya Patra has transformed the lives of many school children. This Daan Utsav, Akshaya Patra pledges to spread happiness with every meal. Help us enable more children to attend school – join us on the mission to feed 5 million children by 2020!

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Every day is a fresh start for school children and teachers. Their days are packed with classes, lessons, assignments, tests, physical activities and so on. A break during the day is where Akshaya Patra comes in – serving nutritious mid-day meals to these enthusiastic children who fearlessly dream of their future. Mid-day meals bring joy.

While India celebrates Joy of Giving week, read these testimonials by Akshaya Patra’s beneficiaries – every testimonial is an assurance that Mid-Day Meal Programme is indeed a boon for children.

“Joining the army will bring me a sense of pride. To fight for the country is the duty of every citizen in India. My dream started with my History lessons, where I was inspired by the many freedom fighters during India’s war for Independence. Many have fought for this country. Why can’t I do the same? I feel I am indebted to my country and I would like to serve my nation as an army officer. I love Akshaya Patra food for it gives me strength.”

Darshan, Karnataka

“I enjoy the Akshaya Patra mid-day meal on all days but my favourite is Wednesdays and Saturdays. We get pulao, khichdi and kheer, which are my favourites. At home, my mother doesn’t cook these delicacies because we can’t afford it. When I grow up, I want to become an actress and act in Assamese movies. Someday, I want to travel the world with my family.”

Pithali, Assam

“The mid-day meal has been a great relief for the parents. They feel that the children will at least get a nutritious meal if they attend school. Though the menu changes every day, the students look forward to eating dal-chawal, dal-dhokli, khichdi and sukhdi served by The Akshaya Patra Foundation. The children are able to enjoy the teaching process, since they are more attentive in class. They actively take part in various inter school sports activities too. The Mid-Day Meal Programme has positively impacted the children’s health in school.”

Reshmi Patel, Teacher, Gujarat

Read all the stories at our website: Joy of Giving Week

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India’s biggest philanthropic event ends in a few days. Let’s take this opportunity to make a difference by donating to charity. Get involved in a cause today.