Hunger is a pressing issue affecting numerous countries across the globe, and India is no exception. With a population of over 1.3 billion people, India faces significant challenges in eradicating hunger and ensuring food security for all its citizens. However, amidst these challenges, there are organisations that are making a remarkable difference in fighting hunger, and one such organisation is The Akshaya Patra Foundation. This blog explores the prevailing issue of hunger in India and sheds light on the incredible contributions of Akshaya Patra in combating this crisis.
The State of Hunger in India
India, despite being one of the fastest-growing economies in the world, struggles with hunger and malnutrition. According to a report by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), India is home to the largest undernourished population globally, with approximately 189.2 million people suffering from hunger. The situation becomes even more alarming when we consider the vulnerability of children, who are the most affected by this crisis. Lack of proper nutrition hampers their growth and development, affecting their physical and cognitive abilities, and ultimately hindering their chances of leading a productive life.
Akshaya Patra’s Mission
Akshaya Patra, established in the year 2000, is a non-profit organisation that strives to eliminate classroom hunger and improve the overall well-being of children in India. The Foundation operates on the belief that no child should be deprived of education due to hunger. Their core initiative involves providing nutritious mid-day meals to school children, with a dual aim of addressing hunger and increasing school attendance.
Contributions of The Akshaya Patra Foundation
Mid-Day Meal Programme: The flagship programme of The Akshaya Patra Foundation is the Mid-Day Meal Programme, which serves as a significant intervention to combat hunger and malnutrition among school-going children. The Foundation prepares and delivers freshly cooked, nutritious meals to government schools across India. Through this program, they not only provide sustenance to children but also help in increasing their concentration levels and overall academic performance.
Scale and reach: Akshaya Patra’s operations are truly impressive, with a robust infrastructure that enables them to prepare and deliver millions of meals every day. They leverage state-of-the-art kitchens, adhering to stringent quality and hygiene standards. With a network of centralised and decentralised kitchens, the Foundation serves meals to schools in urban and rural areas, ensuring that children across the country have access to nutritious food.
Empowering women: The Foundation’s initiatives also focus on empowering women through collaboration and employment. By employing local women as cooks and kitchen staff, Akshaya Patra creates employment opportunities and promotes gender equality. This not only helps in community development but also enables the Foundation to sustain its operations efficiently.
Disaster relief: In times of crisis such as natural disasters or emergencies, Akshaya Patra extends its support by providing meals to affected communities. They have been instrumental in offering food relief during floods, earthquakes and other calamities, thereby ensuring that the affected populations have access to essential sustenance.
Feed to defeat hunger
You can help NGOs in India like Akshaya Patra achieve their mission by contributing towards their programmes. You can donate or volunteer with the NGO to weave the fabric of positive change in the world.
