Knowing an effective organisation like Akshaya Patra

Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) or Charities are expressions of people working for people. They are groups of ordinary citizens making efforts to change lives for the better. NGOs come in different lights with an array of activities depending on support, cause and values. The Akshaya Patra Foundation is one amongst millions of NGOs in the world striving to make an impact and transform lives of millions of children in India.

Akshaya Patra operates at its best working in partnership with The Government of India and the state governments, with the help of its supporters and staff towards professional ways of working and effective, high-impact programme that provides mid-day meals to school children in government and government-aides schools. It’s effective because its cause is clear and the vision and mission are defined and imbibed by all associated with the organisation.

The organisation is able to work to its strength by mobilising the skills of its workforce. For Akshaya Patra, its impact is proportional to response to the need and the bond its builds with all involved with the cause. The trust of beneficiaries, school teachers, trustees, donors, partners and all other stakeholder is the backbone of the organisation. Its size and reach are just mere reflections to the effort.

And anyone who wants to support needs to know whether the organisation deserves it; does the cause needs it? and so on. To make the decision easy Akshaya Patra has clearly explained its vision, mission and programme it is implementing. It shares its impact study, progresses and strategies in taking the cause forward. The organisation has explained the motivation for its programme, how it works towards a positive change that is eliminating classroom hunger. The Akshaya Patra Foundation works with a strong internal system, and applies professional standards and codes of conduct to its work. And of course its ultimate judges are the beneficiaries. Akshaya Patra runs the world’s largest mid-day meal programme providing nutritious food to more than 1.4 million children in India. It’s growing, moving towards its mission of feeding 5 million by 2020.

Matter of Rs. 750

In current times, when we think of shopping does Rs. 750 have much value? How many items can Rs.750 buy for us from the menu of a posh restaurant? If we walk into a branded store, would it be a joke if we are carrying just Rs. 750 with us?  Leave aside the above expenses, but if we just focus on running a week’s expense with Rs. 750, does it seem anywhere near to ‘possible’? More often than not, all of the above instances will repeatedly bring us to only one conclusion i.e. Rs.750 is of not much value in today’s world.

Now let’s look at a different scenario. It has been witnessed that for more than a decade The Akshaya Patra Foundation, a mid-day meal NGO has been feeding over 1.4 million children at a cost of Rs. 750 per child for an entire year. This means to say Akshaya Patra needs just Rs.750 to feed mid-day meal to one child for an entire school year! The question arises how does Akshaya Patra do so?

The Akshaya Patra Foundation is actively involved in implementing the Central Mid-Day Meal Scheme for the past 15 years. It is operational in 24 locations covering Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Odisha, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana and Tamil Nadu. Reaching out to more than 10,000 Government schools, it provides mid-day meal to over 1.4 million children every day. Akshaya Patra works in a Public Private Partnership model where it receives support from the Central and State Governments in the form of grants and subsidies. This model of operation allows Akshaya Patra to receive funds and resources from both individual and organisational donors.

Akshaya Patra is the pioneer in using technology in the mid-day meal sector. It harnesses the potential of technology to optimise and enhance kitchen processes and operations to provide fresh, hygienic, nutritious and tasty meal to the children. The acumen to utilise and manage resources in a well-planned, strategic and sustainable manner allows Akshaya Patra to dish out meals for a child at Rs. 750 for an entire year.

Click Stories of Hope to see the transformations that Rs. 750 has made over the years. Click here to see which Bollywood actor is campaigning to contribute Rs. 750.

So next time you have Rs. 750 with you, remember it is much more valuable than it appears!

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As you celebrate spread joy too!

Occasions are many and ways to celebrate are even more. Be it festivals, anniversaries, birthdays or an achievement, we all find ways to treasure our special moments by gifting and celebrating with our near and dear ones. But for many of our counterparts it’s a far-fetched dream because for them food itself cannot be taken for granted. These counterparts are none other than tiny children who too wishes to celebrate festivals and occasions. 

When we make preparations for our celebration then once in a while we can include the names of these underserved children too in the never-ending guest list. There are many ways to include these children in our celebrations. For example: sponsoring the meal for a particular school on the day of our birthday or anniversary; donating some funds on auspicious occasions like Christmas, Diwali, Eid, New Year and the like. Spending some time with school children and organising some fun activities on days of national importance like Children’s Day, Independence Day etc. which will allow you to know these children better and at the same time give some kind of recreational break to the children. Individuals can come together to form groups and choose to offer their knowledge as a gift by taking after class tuitions or by becoming a mentors thereby helping children to achieve his or her dream; and the day they start can become an occasion by itself. 

Opportunities are many, all we need to do is while we revel in our celebrations we must remember our underserved counterparts too. Click here to offer your support to children who are sincere, determined and deserving. 

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Feeding ambition with each Akshaya Patra meal

Sakshita and Sana are close friends studying in the Zilla Parishad High School in Patancheru. Though they are both dedicated students and class toppers, this does not give rise to competition and affect their friendship.

Sakshita studying in standard VIII loves English and Mathematics. Her mother is a housewife, while her father earns a living as a car driver. “I want to become a teacher and teach the rural children,” she says, speaking of her ambitions. As a beneficiary of Akshaya Patra’s mid-day meal Sakshita gets a nutritious meal every day that helps her concentrate and do well in class. "I love the Akshaya Patra meals especially the Biryani (mixed rice dish) on Thursdays," she says, describing the food.

Sana’s father works as a tailor, and her mother is a housewife. She too wants to teach, but would like to be a lecturer in college. “I love to stand in front of a class and teach. It gives me confidence,” she says. Sana acknowledges that her parents sometimes find it hard to make ends meet at home. This makes the mid-day meal very useful to her, keeping her tummy satisfied, and her mind able to concentrate on her lessons. "I like the Dal (a curry prepared with lentils) served and the Biryani is delicious. I am grateful to Akshaya Patra for providing me with delicious mid-day meals," Sana adds.

The two young girls run back to their class soon after. It is heartening to see such ambitious children, filled with fun and spirit, looking forward to fulfilling their dreams.

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Engineering a way forward

Meghashree dreams of becoming a Software Engineer when she grows up. A studious, young girl of 15 years, she studies in Standard X at the Sharada Vilas High School in Mysore.

A new Akshaya Patra kitchen opens at Cuttack!

 

Staying focused on its aim to keep expanding and reach out to 5 million children by 2020, The Akshaya Patra Foundation has launched its 23rd kitchen at Cuttack in Odisha. This centralised kitchen was inaugurated by Naveen Patnaik, the Chief Minister of Odisha, as well as General Surat Singh Sandhu, the Chairman of The Kusuma Foundation and Pankaj Vinayak Sharma, Country Leader of The Kusuma Foundation.

An all-round healthy meal

Consuming a balanced diet is crucial for the healthy functioning of the human body. This is especially true for young children, whose bodies require the right amounts of nutrients and energy to develop both physically and mentally, and keep up with the rigour of childhood activity. The Akshaya Patra Foundation knows how vital the right amount of nutrients are to growing children and therefore adheres to the guidelines specified by the Government of India on the mid-day meal programme.

Vitamins and minerals are needed for the proper mental and cognitive development of these young children. In a time when their bodies are vulnerable, they rely on these nutrients to develop to their best potential. The Akshaya Patra Foundation provides these vitamins and minerals through beetroot, cabbage and carrot that are featured regularly in the mid-day meal.

Growing children should be starved of neither food nor energy. That’s why Akshaya Patra makes sure the children have both by providing them with sufficient carbohydrates, which help store energy in the body, through an adequate supply of rice in South India and Roti in North India to suit the local palate.

Proteins help in the physical development of the body, which makes them a crucial component in the diet of growing children. Akshaya Patra includes proteins in the mid-day meal through ingredients like spinach, potato, lentils and beans, which are frequently used in the menu.

The Akshaya Patra Foundation works to provide food for education, and combat the issue of classroom hunger in India. Through the mid-day meal, the beneficiaries of the programme have shown improved concentration, retention and energy, better socialization skills and a much higher drive to enroll in school. By ensuring that each meal is tasty, healthy and filling, The Akshaya Patra Foundation everyday comes closer to fulfilling its vision that no child in India shall be deprived of education because of hunger.

Donation process suited to your needs

Making a donation to The Akshaya Patra Foundation for the cause of food for education is a very simple process. All you need to know is how much you would like to donate, whether you are donating in cash or kind, and the reason for your donation.

Finding Strength in Unity

Jitu Pradhan studies in the fifth standard at the Sechan Bihar Primary School, Bhudan Nagar, Puri Municipality. According to him, his sister Buli Pradhan, is his best friend. Since Buli studies in the seventh standard of the same school, the two get to spend a great deal of time with each other, looking after each other and their home in Puri.

Strength in Small Packages

Appearances are often deceiving. Pooja at first seems like a shy child, but as conversation progresses she astounds you with her joy, creativity, and intelligence. An all-rounder of sorts, Pooja enjoys music and dance, taking part in various arts and cultural activities at her school, as well as participates whole heartedly in her academics. Her favourite subjects are Mathematics and English, and this bright young girl aims to become a teacher one day to pass on her knowledge.

The wisdom of youth

Very often, all the help in the world will not aid you if you do not help yourself. 12 year old Kavita, a young beneficiary of The Akshaya Patra Foundation mid-day meal, seems to be someone who subscribes to this concept. A student of the Chikkasandra Government Higher Primary School in Bangalore, Kavita is a smart young lady who dreams of being a respected, successful woman in the future.

Food and education: Two sides of a coin

In India, every child has the right to a quality, elementary education, and this right is fulfilled through the Right to Education Act provided under Article 21a of the Indian Constitution. This act provides for free and compulsory education to all children of India between the ages of six and 14. This act which has redefined the way children are treated and nurtured in this country came into effect on 1 April, 2010.

Akshaya Patra opens a new kitchen at Jodhpur

The Akshaya Patra Foundation is thrilled to announce the opening of its 22nd kitchen in Jodhpur, Rajasthan. Operational since August 2013, this centralised kitchen caters to a total of 12,139 school children across 147 government and Madrasa schools.

Here’s what you can do for Akshaya Patra!!

The Akshaya Patra Foundation is a people-centric organization. Apart from the fact that we are passionate about the work that we are doing, we would also love to involve as many people as possible.

An organisation that operates on such scale as Akshaya Patra, can only sustain its operation if there is whole hearted involvement of the community.

Akshaya Patra Foundation Raises the Bar

Having always been a loyal follower of the work done by The Akshaya Patra Foundation, I was thrilled when I found that the foundation has been receiving a spate of awards recently. Through their brochures and other communications collateral, and their high quality of work, Akshaya Patra’s communications model has always been very resource driven and target oriented, which is reflected in the various awards earned by their talented content and creative team.

Feeding women and children in Need

The Akshaya Patra Foundation brought their mid-day meal programme to Andhra Pradesh in October 2008, when they started their kitchens in Hyderabad and Visakhapatnam.  These centralised kitchens together serve 60,098 mid-day meals to 461 government schools every day.

Quiet and Confident they Carry On

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.

Karnataka: Ahead of the Curve

At The Akshaya Patra Foundation we have been striving towards realising our goal of feeding 5 million children across India by 2020, providing them with our tasty, nutritious mid-day meals so that no child need be denied education because of hunger.

Recently we were gratified to see our efforts reaping benefits when the Ministry of Human Resource and Development announced its first ever mid-day meals ranking of all the states that are part of the scheme, in a survey conducted across April to June, 2013.

Gearing up for Life

Life is not just an endless stream of black and white occurrences interrupted by robotic decision making. Life is messy and complicated, and well real. And the Akshaya Patra Foundation realised this too, and implemented the Akshaya Life Skills programme in the schools it serves, to help provide young children with the skills they need to deal with the real world.

Akshaya Patra Foundation – A Promise for a Better Future

The potential of a mid day meal is underrated sometimes. A mid day meal is more about free food that acts as an incentive for children to attend school; it’s a promise of a future. A child who has turned to labor only dreams of getting his next meal. Hunger acts as an obstacle, holding them back from realizing their dreams.

The Akshaya Patra Foundation believes that the delight and potential of one mid day meal goes far beyond just filling a hungry stomach. It equals an opportunity for education, ambition and a future.