Akshaya Patra’s Magnanimous Journey in Karnataka

We have served 2 billion meals. The Akshaya Patra Foundation, an NGO based out of Bengaluru, celebrated the serving of 2 billion mid-day meals, in the presence of Honourable President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee. Having been in the service of children for 16 years now, this NGO for children is here to make a difference in many young lives by crafting a healthy future for them. Thanks to the Government of India for its outpouring support towards Akshaya Patra’s Mid-Day Meal Programme, there has been a steady rise in school attendance as well.

We are only a few days close to observing National Nutrition Week and while we will be discussing what ‘Nutrition’ means to us in our future blogs, let us brief you on how our journey of Mid-Day Meal Programme has panned out in Karnataka.

After Akshaya Patra stepped forward to provide mid-day meals to school children which would later go on to become the world’s largest NGO-run school lunch programme, the Indian government and many donors from across the globe have supported the initiative in many ways possible. Since its inception in 2000, Akshaya Patra has spread its wings across 11 states in the country feeding over 1.6 million children on every school day. This NGO for children believes that every child deserves a fair chance in the field of education and therefore, decided to fight classroom hunger through school lunch programme.

Our Journey of Unlimited Food for Education

• For Akshaya Patra, the journey began in 2000 with a feeding programme for 1,500 school children in Bengaluru

• The following year, the Government made it a right for every child studying in their schools to avail mid-day meals within the school premises

• In 2003, our Foundation became the first to take public-private partnership forward in social sector with the Government of Karnataka signing an MoU for MDM for children

• We went beyond Bengaluru. In 2004, we set up kitchens in Hubballi, Mangaluru and Mysore to feed more children

• In 2007, a second centralised kitchen was set up in Bengaluru in Vasanthpura, which currently feeds 1,01,541 children

• In 2012, Akshaya Patra served the billionth meal, one of the major milestones for this children’s NGO and in 2016, we crossed serving of 2 billion meals

Today, Akshaya Patra serves more than 5 lakh children in Karnataka alone. On this exceptional journey of defeating hunger among children, we urge you to join us and witness a changing society. If today’s children are fed nutritious meals and are ensured quality education, we will be creating a secure future not just for us but also for the next generation to come.

A famous proverb tells us that ‘little by little, little becomes a lot.’ To be able to feed 5 million children by 2020, we will need your help. You can donate an amount of your choice or you can sponsor a child by donating Rs 950. If changing a life makes you a proud citizen, then Akshaya Patra’s cause is for you!

Why Elimination of Hunger Is A Cause We Should All Invest In?

How we take our life on Earth for granted? We hear and witness hard-hitting headlines around the world, of thousands of lives affected every day. One such issue is hunger, a forlorn state where lives get defeated fighting for food. Hunger is the number one cause of death in the world with 795 million of the total world’s population sleeping hungry every day. And out of which 212 million belong to India itself.

At The Akshaya Patra Foundation, each stomach that goes empty is important. Our Mid-Day Meal Programme attempts to feed the hungry with a focus on children going to schools. Did you know that one of the most powerful economies of the world – India – is also home to one-third of world's hungry? As many as 3000 children are becoming victims of hunger and malnutrition every day. Is there a more pressing reason why you should contribute to eradicate hunger?

Is that my cause?

Many of you often think about social causes, to invest a share of your income for a cause you believe in. But then the whole process of making the effort seems challenging and you eventually abandon the thought.

When Akshaya Patra made the ambition of feeding 5 million children in the country by 2020, the organisation was confident that hunger was a cause worth investing in. While most of you think that the role of NGOs is to help the underprivileged groups, you somehow settle with the idea that this cause is not for you. However, Akshaya Patra knows the value of each coin, humbly acknowledging that we cannot run our school lunch programme without your help. The reason why we have several members, workers, volunteers and donors working tirelessly each day is because we all understand that elimination of hunger can safeguard the future of our children.

School children need your attention

Children are the future of the nation and to build a great future, we need to serve them in the present. Hunger prevents them from going to school, playing and learning. Hunger often strips the children off their precious childhood as they are compelled to earn their living.

So Akshaya Patra realised that the most vital demographic in the quest for feeding the hungry is children. Do you think so too? If yes, we urge you to sponsor a child throughout his academic year by investing Rs 750. The small act with a great thought creates a huge difference in their lives. When you choose to sponsor a child, you directly contribute in the making of a complete citizen. Of course, your donation is exempted from taxes.

Today hunger is a challenge before the literate and the healthy. We all need to conspire against hunger if we truly wish to create an equal and competitive society. Small deeds often bring big changes. Donate your share and take responsibility to eliminate hunger in India.