When you walk through the gates of GHPS government school at Chikkasandra, Bangalore, around lunch time, the excitement in the air is palpable. As Akshaya Patra Foundation mid-day meals are served and children laughing and screaming fall into line, I look mesmerised into their smiling faces.
I take a stroll through the crowds of children who are almost as excited to have a stranger in their midst as they are about The Akshaya Patra Foundation mid-day meals, while I look around for someone to speak to. My gaze settles on a charming duo, two girls their heads bent together over their food, their hair pulled back in two neat braids each.
With some trepidation they watch me approach. Thirteen year old Leelamani (Right) and fourteen year old Keerthi (Left) both study in grade eight at the school. Like most of the other children at the school they come from low income families.
Leelamani’s father works in the Indian military, while her mother works in the garment industry. A soft spoken, shy young girl, she tells me that her favorite subject in school is Kannada. She displays her determination to do well in life when she explains that she loves coming to school because she enjoys being able to study. She hopes to be a teacher someday.
Keerthi’s father is a daily wage laborer, while her mother also works in the garments industry. Her favorite subject is English and she dreams of becoming a doctor when she grows up. She too loves to come to school every day since it gives her the opportunity to study and get closer to achieving her dream.
When I ask them if they enjoyed their mid-day meals, their faces light up as they answer ‘Yes’. “I like the Bisi Bele Bath the best,” confides Leelamani, while Keethi chimes in with “I love the Puliogare.” As much as I agree with them, I cannot tell a lie, so I lean over and whisper to them, “My favorite is the rasam!’
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