The lush green hill district and one of the main tourist attractions of Karnataka, Kodagu, popularly referred to as Coorg, is in a devastating state this monsoon. The merciless rains and unprecedented landslides have wreaked havoc in the entire district claiming lives and livelihoods, destroying homes and civic amenities, swallowing villages, rendering thousands of residents homeless, and altering the landscape with newly formed meandering courses of rivers and streams.

As rescue and relief services are pouring in to help the affected people, The Akshaya Patra Foundation has also stepped in actively in the relief work by providing cooked meals to affected people in Coorg.

More images from the scene: Flood Relief Effort in Coorg

Location of relief work: Kushalnagar, Madikeri

Relief workers: A team of Akshaya Patra employees are actively involved in providing food to the people.

Period of relief work: Akshaya Patra began serving cooked meals from Monday afternoon i.e. 20 August 2018

Meals served: From two make shift kitchens in Kushalnagar and Madikeri, Akshaya Patra is serving the meals on a daily basis to the affected people inclusive of breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Type of meals served: Dishes like upma, puliyogere, pulao, and rice and sambar are being served in the affected district.

Delivery of meals: The Akshaya Patra’s team with the help of distribution vehicles are delivering meals to the affected people of Coorg.

Status of the relief work: On-going

When most of us are fast asleep in the wee hours of the morning, there are few places bustling with energy. Each day at the strike of 4 a.m., different groups of people at different locations prepped up with safety and hygiene gears enter into huge kitchen infrastructures. Why? To prepare ‘meals of hope’ for children studying in government schools! And, so we call them the ‘Humans of Akshaya Patra.’

Meet some of our passionate members from Kandi kitchen in Telangana for whom the only aim is to benefit more and more children with freshly cooked, nutritious, and hygienic meals on every school day.

Padamalalita, Pre-processing Helper (Production Department)

Since when have you been working in Akshaya Patra?
I have been working in Akshaya Patra since June 2013.

Why did you choose to join Akshaya Patra?
I knew the social cause of Akshaya Patra and chose to join the organisation with the aim to serve the children. It gives me a sense of self-satisfaction to be able to help school-going children by serving them with healthy food.

What was life like before you joined Akshaya Patra?
Prior to joining Akshaya Patra, I was a housewife.

Describe your typical day as a pre-processing helper.
As a Pre-processing Helper, I am responsible for ensuring that all the cutting equipment are properly cleaned and sanitised before and after use. I wash and cut vegetables and arrange all the ingredients required for the cooking or production process.

Why do you think thorough cleaning of raw materials is an important aspect of cooking meals?
As we provide meals to children, it is our duty to provide them with clean and hygienic food. And, hygiene begins right from the pre-processing stage. Hence, it is very important to ensure that all raw materials are cleaned properly before being cooked.

How has your experience been so far?
My experience of working with Akshaya Patra has been good so far. I feel proud that I am able to provide for my family. Also, now I am more confident about taking care of my children’s education.

What makes working with Akshaya Patra special?
The very name ‘Akshaya Patra’ makes it a special to work. Being a mother, I know the importance of food for growing children. I understand that many families are not able to provide proper food to their children due to many difficulties. But, by working in Akshaya Patra I am in some way able to provide food to so many children and this wouldn’t have been possible if I had worked somewhere else.

S. Sai Kumar, Driver

Since when have you been working in Akshaya Patra?
I have been working here since July 2013.

What was life like before you joined Akshaya Patra?
I was working as a delivery executive with a water distribution agency.

Describe your typical day as a driver.
Every morning I report to work by 5:30 a.m. After that, I conduct a routine check of my vehicle to ensure it is working well to avoid any kind of vehicle breakdown or delay in delivery of meals. The Supervisors assign duties to each of the drivers and we adhere to it. Once, I am back in the kitchen after delivering meals to schools, I wash and clean my vehicle.

Any specific problem you face while on your way to deliver meals.
Fortunately, until now I have never faced any problem while going to deliver meals.

Why is it important that food reaches children on time?
In my opinion, if children eat food on time, they will be able to concentrate better on their studies. Also, children learn by observing elders. So, if we are punctual in delivering meals to children, children will understand and inculcate the habit of being punctual too.

How has your life changed after joining Akshaya Patra?
I am happy with my duties and responsibilities in Akshaya Patra. As my working hours and working days are fixed there is no room for an any ad hoc summons and I don’t have to drive around unnecessarily. In addition, Sunday is a mandatory holiday, so I get time to spend with my family too.

What makes working with Akshaya Patra special?
Working with Akshaya Patra is special because at the end of the day I feel satisfied for being involved with a noble cause of helping children by providing nutritious meals and supporting their education.

Well, behind every great show, there are behind-the-scenes contributors. And, at Akshaya Patra, those contributors are our very own kitchen staff. Watch out this space to meet our passionate members from Jaipur, Rajasthan!

We would love to hear from you, so please use the below comment section to share your thoughts and feedbacks.