Stories of Hope from Akshaya Patra

When we working in collaboration with so many people we need to share information and our success stories. At Akshaya Patra, a reputed NGO which it’s headquarter in Bangalore, we present all our stories to our stakeholders, corporate partners, philanthropic donors, well-wishers and the general public. Our main stories are the stories of hope, the stories of the beneficiary students, teachers, employees and more.

In our endeavor to share inspiring stories The Akshaya Patra Foundation has developed a new website called hopestories.in that only carters to stories of hope. There are stories and videos of children talking about their dreams and the mid-day meal programme. There are also stories of teachers as well as parents sharing their thoughts on the positive impact of Akshaya Patra’s school feeding programme. This is a refreshing approach to spread awareness as well inspired people to participate in the programme.

New stories and videos will be published regularly to keep the website fresh and alive. We on a constant look out for stories that will keep you glued to your seat. But, every child is unique and every individual different and we have millions of stories to share as we move forward. We encourage readers to visit out kitchen establishments in 24 locations across 10 states of India. One can also visit the schools we provide mid-day meals. Write stories, click photographs and share it with us.

There is nothing better than reading real life stories and getting inspired. And the real impact of the world’s largest mid-day meal programme is what these stories are.

Impact of Akshaya Patra’s mid-day meal: Looking into children’s lives

As we go deeper into the lives of the beneficiaries of Akshaya Patra, we learn how important the mid-day meal programme is in their lives. Let’s meet a few children to grasp the impact that the foundation’s effort is making.

First is Rahim, a hard-working student who dreams to be a doctor. He loves science and wants to a doctor so he can save lives. His father is an auto driver while his mother works as a housewife. To support the family, his mother does a few odd jobs. Despite the challenging financial state of the family, Rahim works hard in class and it has reflected in his marks. When free he plays and reads and also helps his mother in house chores. Rahim loves the dal (lentils) and fruits provided by The Akshaya Patra Foundation as part of the mid-day meal serve to his school every day. He compliments the service of the organization to society.

Another beneficiary we met was Rajesh who is fond of literature and loves to draw. His teachers are very impressed with his artistic skills and think that a formal coaching will help develop his talent further. And Rajesh wants to be a teacher. He thinks that mid-day meal programme really helps the families of children studying at the same school. He is grateful to the programme.

Now Pithali, studying in 4th grade, hopes to become an actress in Assamese movies and travel the world with her family one day. Her father, a seasonal mason sometime is without work for as long as 4-6 months. And her mother stitches mekhala chadars (a traditional Assamese outfit). A monthly income of INR 2500 - 4000 is difficult to sustain a family of five. So, the food provided by Akshaya Patra at her school is a great incentive to Pithali. She looks forward to Wednesdays and Saturdays when pulao, khichdi and kheer are served. They are her favourites.

Just imagine if these children are not provided nutritious meals every day. Their education will be affected and so will their dreams and aspirations. That is the reason why the mid-day meal programme of Akshaya Patra is really vital to the children. The food gives them the much needed nutrition for their healthy growth. When children are well fed, they get the energy to focus on education and pursue their dreams. The mid-day meal is also an effort to eliminate classroom hunger in India.

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The Akshaya Patra Foundation is a non-governmental organization headquartered in Bengaluru. The NGO in India is feeding the government school children through mid-day meal programme every working day of school.