Celebrate for a Cause

Akshaya Tritiya is a festival of joy and prosperity. Also called ‘Akha Teej’, it is celebrated on the third lunar day of the Vaishakha month (April – May) and this year it will be celebrated on the 14th of May. This day is considered to be highly auspicious and sacred. There is no necessity to look for an auspicious time if one wants to perform a special event like a Pooja, wedding, housewarming, etc. as the whole day is auspicious.

A few beliefs about Akshaya Tritiya
• It is an annual springtime festival of Hindus and Jains alike
• The sixth incarnation of Lord Vishnu, Lord Parashurama was born on this day
• This day marks the birth of Goddess Annapoorna

It is a belief that a new venture begun on this day brings prosperity. Whether you start a new business, a new practice or a new activity, it is believed to bear fruitful results. There is a frenzy in people to buy gold during this season, with the belief that they will get unending prosperity. In this crisis hour, when jewellery stores and other shops are closed, many of us don’t know what to do. We fail to realise that we can still get unending prosperity by following our age-old tradition of performing an act of charity. Doing charity, in India is considered to be the highest form of service, out of which Annadaan is considered to be Mahadaan. You can visit organisations or NGOs that help the people in need or make online donations, it is still believed as a service.

The Akshaya Patra Foundation is one such NGO you can choose to donate to in this crisis hour. With its COVID-19 relief Service, it provides freshly-cooked meals, grocery kits to marginalised communities and happiness kits to children studying in Government and Government-aided schools. Since the first wave of the pandemic, the organisation has continuously worked to feed the needy people by supporting the Government of India. So far, over 12-crore meals have been served, cumulatively.

Inherit good deeds on Akshaya Tritiya by making Anna Daan with Akshaya Patra by supporting the distribution of meals during the tough times of the pandemic. Support the needy people hailing from challenging socio-economic backgrounds. Help them survive this pandemic with your donation and gain their blessings for feeding them healthy meals in return.

Donate online to feed the marginalised sections of the society this Akshaya Tritiya and get a year full of prosperity.

With mothers around us, every day is a gift. We have everything at our service, be it food, coffee, snacks, clean room, organised cupboards or anything under the sun; all thanks to our mother figure. When we don’t find something, the first thing that comes to our head is “Mom! Where is my…….?” and for all you know, she will be standing with it in her hand.

A mother is a replica of sacrifice and selflessness. A day dedicated to all the mothers, motherhood and maternal influences, was needed. In 1914, the second Sunday of May was dedicated to celebrating Mother’s Day.

How can you celebrate Mother’s Day in the pandemic?
This year, Mother’s Day celebrations are going to be a tad bit different just like the last year. We all have to sit in the safe zone of our houses and yet make this day special for the beautiful woman, we call ‘Mother’.

• Give her flowers
Flowers are one of the best creations of nature that can bring a smile to everyone’s face. A bouquet or a single flower can brighten up the day of your mother or your wife or any other person who plays the role of a mother in life.

• Give her a day off from the kitchen
Having a mother by your side is a feel-good factor in itself. She silently works hard in the kitchen just to ensure that you eat healthy and yummy food. On this 9th May 2021, give your mother a day off from the monotonous routine of cooking. Take care of the kitchen chores by beginning with breakfast, lunch, tea, snacks and dinner, for just one day and you will want to help her more every other day.

• Give her a special gift by practicing her values
A mother is Pandora’s box of values and virtues. It is time you show her that you have learnt all her teachings well. Donate in her honour on this special day with Akshaya Patra. Show her that you care for your fellow beings who are in need in this tough time of the pandemic.

Akshaya Patra’s COVID-19 Relief Service
Akshaya Patra is currently providing freshly cooked meals to needy people and grocery kits to support the survival of marginalised families. Apart from this, the Foundation also supports the food and education of its mid-day meal beneficiaries by distributing happiness kits. As of 30th April 2020, the NGO has served a cumulative of 12.40-crores and will continue its feeding service as long as people require it.

Make Akshaya Patra a part of your Mother’s Day celebrations by making online donations from the safety of your homes so that nobody has to suffer from a hunger crisis. Show her that you have learnt well from her by donating in your mother’s name.

Call it Ugadi, Gudi Padwa, Yugadi, Thapna, Sajibu Nongma Panba, Cheti Chand or any other name you want, but the essence of this day remains the same. It is the day celebrated as New Year in different communities. Every one of us welcomes this 2021 on a positive note, hoping for good health, wealth, prosperity and safety.

This year is all about doing things differently. How can we celebrate this Ugadi in a slightly different manner?

• Go online shopping
A new festival is all about shopping for new clothes. Bright coloured clothes are a part of each house on every Ugadi. Young parents gift their children, and older children gift clothes to their parents. Since going out shopping for the whole family is risky at this stage, shop online as many e-commerce platforms offer festive discounts.

• Prepare delicacies
Festive treats are a part of every celebration. As children, do you remember slyly going into the kitchen to grab the sweets your mom prepared? Enjoy making the same dishes and eating them with your family.

• Offer your prayers
Commence this New Year by seeking the blessings of God. Pray for the health and safety of your family and everybody else on this planet. Worshipping God gives you inner peace and calms your mind, body and soul.

• Virtually meet your friends & family
Visiting friends and relatives was a regular part of the celebrations. However, this year, you have to be more careful and responsible. The whole world is going digital, then why not make digital media a part of your celebrations? Dress up, get ready, put on your new clothes, call up your elders and relatives to take their blessings.

• Make gifting a part of your celebrations
A festival is incomplete without gifting. Gift special items to your family members. But, many people do not have the comfort of life as we all do. People struggle without food and children without food and education. So, as a change this year, why not donate to an NGO to feed the needy people?

The Akshaya Patra Foundation is a non-profit organisation that implements the Mid-Day Meal Programme in 52 locations spread across 12 states and 2 union territories of India. By providing unlimited food for education to school children studying in Government and Government-aided schools, it aims to mitigate classroom hunger.

Why should you donate to Akshaya Patra on this Ugadi?
Giving is a part of the festive season. Donate to Akshaya Patra to make a difference for children and society on the whole.
• Your donation of ₹1100 takes care of their nutritional requirements for one full academic year
• Your contribution helps in eliminating classroom hunger and helps children to concentrate better in class
• When your support helps children by improving their ability to focus, you are upholding their education too
• Mid-day meals are an incentive for children to come to school every day, thereby increasing their attendance rate and school retention rate
• As children come to school daily for their share of school meals, they have a lesser tendency to stop coming to school. This helps in reducing school dropout rates.

With your one donation, you can make a world of a difference to the future of the nation. Go digital in your celebrations this Ugadi. Support children’s food, dreams and education with Akshaya Patra.

The whole world is an uncertain place today and we have switched to finding good in this world. On looking at a fragile healthcare system, we look for some sort of security. We fail to realise that the security lies in our health. World Health Day is soon approaching on 7th April and we are fortunate to be full of good health today despite various wars waged against us in the form of diseases.

However, lesser fortunate people living all over the world and in India, are gripped by various diseases. The major contributing factor to these diseases is low immunity.

As stated in The Economic Times, a study by GOQii – The India Fit Report 2020, found that 20.8% of Indians had low immunity levels.

On this World Health Day, let us stick to the theme of Building a fairer, healthier world and take care of the health of people around us. The section of people who are at a greater risk of getting various diseases, sicknesses, infections and fatal illnesses, is the marginalised community.

The Akshaya Patra Foundation took care of their health by providing them with meals during the pandemic in 2020. A cumulative of 11-crore meals had been served in the form of cooked meals, grocery kits and happiness kits. However, this year, the charity in India resumed its core service of implementing the Mid-Day Meal Programme to feed school children studying in Government and Government-aided schools of India.

Benefits of donating on World Health Day
Providing healthy meals to children on this day can:
• Take care of their nutritional status
• Provide unlimited school meals for one full academic year
• Increase their interest to come to school, thereby increasing school attendance rate and reducing the dropout rates
• Improving their focusing capacity and attention span in the classroom
• Support their education as well.

Gift the everlasting gift of nutrition to children. A healthy childhood, healthy food and healthy life is the right of each child.
Wait no further!
Donate to feed a child with Akshaya Patra’s nutritious meals today!

Holi is a festival for all – children, adults, rich, not-so-rich and all. It is a day to celebrate the triumph of good over evil, the day we celebrate the eternal love of Radha and Krishna. It is celebrated to welcome spring and marks the beginning of spring harvest. The celebrations begin the previous night with a ritual called Holika Dahan where one prays to destroy the evil in them. The next morning is celebrated as Holi where people smear each other with colours.

However, it is not all joy and colours for all people. People and children coming from challenging socio-economic backgrounds see their lives to be filled only with black and white. We can potentially add colours into their lives on this Holi 2021.

How can you brighten up their lives?
As the famous saying goes, ‘A little bit of kindness goes a long way.’
Shower your kindness on people this Holi, celebrate it by providing support. The best way to bring change in their lives is by donating to non-profit organisations that take care of their necessities and requirements. This Holi, join The Akshaya Patra Foundation to make a positive impact on the lives of people.

Celebrate this Holi by feeding children
Celebrate the goodness that resides in you by providing mid-day meals to children with Akshaya Patra. With your contribution of ₹1100, one child from a Government and Government-aided school will receive nutritious meals every single day of that academic year. The meals provided by this NGO takes care of the nutritional levels of school children coming from challenging backgrounds. By cyclically providing locally palatable meals, the organisation ensures that children enjoy their meals and the wastage is reduced.

Here are a few stories of children who love Akshaya Patra’s food

13-year-old Shyaali dreams of becoming a dentist. She works very hard in class and has become sharper after consuming Akshaya Patra’s meals. She says that she skips breakfast so that she can savour the mid-day meals that day. She adds further saying, “If I eat breakfast and leave home, I feel I am not doing justice to the food provided.” She is grateful for the meals that are served in her school every single day.

Raju is a 14-year-old boy from Silvassa Municipal School. Akshaya Patra’s meals have inspired him to become a Chef. He loves the fact that one single dish has many recipes to it so that the children don’t get bored of eating the same food and ultimately waste it.

By contributing to Akshaya Patra and supporting the Mid-Day Meal Programme, you help in mitigating classroom hunger, improving focus and attention span of children, reducing school dropout rates and increasing school attendance rate.

To make an online donation to feed mid-day meal beneficiaries, click here.

Celebrate this Holi by feeding homeless mothers
The non-profit organisation is feeding women who have lost their husbands. With the #FeedTheHomelessMothers Programme, it feeds a thousand women every day.
A moderately active woman should consume 1,800-2,200 calories a day.
But women who are surviving without their husbands, do not intake so many calories. To support such women, hot and nutritious meals are provided to help them survive and ward off diseases. Each meal is priced at ₹11.15 and is fed to a thousand of them living at ashrams and other centres.

Celebrate this festival of Holi by smearing colours on your friends and family, but don’t forget to provide meals to these people during your celebrations. Feed nutritious meals with Akshaya Patra and change lives every day!

Indian Republic Day is celebrated on 26th January every year to commemorate the day ‘Constitution of India’ came into force. India was declared as a Republic on this day in 1950 and is declared as a National Holiday. Educational institutions organise patriotic programmes to pay homage to martyrs of our freedom struggle.

School children in India celebrate this day with great pride. When institutions organise competitions like quiz, fancy dress, singing and dancing, children take part in them with enthusiasm. National songs, the National Anthem and many other patriotic songs are sung that precede the unfurling of National Flag. The words of the Indian constitution are inscribed deep in us by our teachers that ‘We, the people of India’ will stand together as a nation that is undivided by any caste, creed or religion. These ideals and morals make us responsible citizens and imbibe generosity to help the people who need us.

There are millions of people who need our support every day. These could include daily-wage workers, labourers, senior citizens, people from challenging economic backgrounds, marginalised families, etc.
Akshaya Patra and its service

To help these sections of the society, The Akshaya Patra Foundation, an NGO in India works on a private partnership model to feed school children who are the future of the country. The Foundation provides healthy meals to 1.8 million children studying in Government and Government-aided schools of India. Spread across 52 locations of India, healthy meals are provided on a daily basis in 12 States and 2 Union Territories.

Here are a few stories of children who have enjoyed their mid-day meals

Kapil

An 11-year-old student of Government Primary School, New Baldev (Mathura), Kapil wants to become an Army Officer. Though he is born to a normal hardworking couple, he has never thought little of his dreams. He says he is aware of what he has to do once he finishes his studies. He is ready for the drill of hanging on ropes, climbing walls and doing push-ups holding rods.
To read about his story, click here.

Aishwarya

10-year old Aishwarya is a 4th standard student studying in M.P. Prathamika Patashala. She dreams of becoming a District Collector so that she can make India a corruption-free nation. The hardships that she and her family have faced, does not demotivate her or derail her from the path of achieving her dreams. Her dream motivates her to study hard every day so much that she has not missed even a single day of school.
To read about his story, click here.

Since many schools have shut down, children are forced to study at home. 1.8 million children were bereft of mid-day meals. Hence, the NGO started the Happiness Kits initiative to support their health, immunity, hygiene and learning.

Akshaya Patra also serves meals during the times of a disaster. For example, when Coronavirus instilled fear in the whole nation that went under a lockdown, the non-profit organisation started the COVID-19 Relief Service. As a part of this programme, hot and freshly cooked, nutritious meals are served to the people from low-income sections of the society.

Nurture and feed the people of India today; they are the section of the population that needs your support the most. Extend your generosity with Akshaya Patra.

Krishnaveni is a student at Chennai High School and a surrogate mother to her siblings since the passing of their mother when she was in Class 5. Since then she has cooked for and taken care of her father, little sister and brother – all while going to school and helping out the family financially.

Her day begins at 5 am each morning with tasks to get her siblings ready for school. After her classes, Krishnaveni helps her father with chores to earn a small income and help contribute to her family’s finances.

Young Krishnaveni has learnt the skill of managing expenses and setting priorities, “My brother always wants toys and my sister asks for bangles. I am always happy to buy it for them, but only when basic needs like food and school necessities are available.” She credits her maturity to education and schooling. Unsurprisingly, Krishnaveni wants to become a teacher; she wishes to share her love of Tamil to children deprived of education.

Of all her daily tasks on school days, cooking is excluded thanks to the breakfast and mid-day meal service in school, “It eases my work at home. Here (in school) we get healthy food. I love the Rava Pongal.”

On #InternationalEducationDay and #NationalGirlChildDay, Akshaya Patra celebrates the spirit of the girl child by emphasizing the important role education plays in a girl’s life and the ripple effect it can have on their families, societies and communities.

Wish you all a Happy 65th Kannada Rajyotsava!

1st November is Kannada Rajyotsava. It is the day the state of Karnataka was formed. On this very day in 1956, all Kannada-speaking regions of South India unified to form Karnataka. Karnataka is derived from the words Karu-Nadu meaning elevated land.

Karnataka Rajyotsava is the day where people living in Karnataka – ‘Kannadigas’, unite to celebrate with great pomp and grandeur, irrespective of their religion. Red and yellow Karnataka flag is hoisted at predominant locations, followed by the singing of the state song. People who have made great contributions towards the development of Karnataka are presented with Rajyotsava awards.

Birth of Akshaya Patra in Bengaluru
Akshaya Patra is an organisation that was born as an NGO in Bengaluru. The Foundation started feeding 1,500 school children with nutritious meals in Government schools of Bengaluru, Karnataka. Since its inception in 2000, it has fed 1.8 million children with wholesome mid-day meals every day. In these times of unprecedented crisis, the NGO is serving meals to the needy and marginalised sections of the society.

As a part of its COVID-19 Relief Service, cooked meals and grocery kits are distributed to people belonging to low-income communities. As of 14th October 2020, a cumulative of 9.2-crore meals were served.

Watch Akshaya Patra Children Stories:

There are various other ways in which you can celebrate the spirit of being a Kannadiga – by serving your needy fellow beings with Akshaya Patra.

• Cooked meals
Serve freshly cooked, nutritious meals to low-income sections of the society, comprising of daily-wage workers, labourers and people in need living in old age homes and night shelters.

• Grocery Kits
Each grocery kit comes with spices, pulses, legumes, vegetables and other essentials. Donate online towards providing grocery kits to help marginalised families sustain amid the crisis.

• Happiness Kits
To continue its service towards mid-day meal beneficiaries, Akshaya Patra initiated the Happiness Kits Programme. Each happiness kit supports nutrition, immunity, hygiene and education of school children studying in Government and Government-aided schools.

• Anganwadi Kits
To provide support to pregnant women, lactating mothers and children, essential kits are being distributed. Glucose biscuits, jaggery, milk powder, Horlicks, etc. are packed in the kit for Anganwadi beneficiaries.

With social distancing and new norms in place, this year’s Kannada Rajotsava is a tad bit different. But nothing can dampen our spirits to help our fellow citizens in the hour of this crisis. Extend your support and let us know how you have changed lives on this Rajyotsava.

7.8 billion people are living on Earth, out of which there are over 690 million people who are affected by hunger. The ongoing crisis is estimated to push a further of 130 million people in this bracket by the end of 2020. The numbers are huge and this is why there is a need to get together to help people. The theme for this World Food Day is very apt, ‘Grow, Nourish, Sustain. Together. – Our Actions are Our Future.’

People all over the globe are facing a food crisis and there is an urgency to act for the betterment of people facing hardships of food. 16th October every year is celebrated as World Food Day. It is in our hands to make a difference in the lives of the needy people and make Zero Hunger possible.

The Akshaya Patra Foundation is an NGO that works primarily towards providing mid-day meals to children studying in Government and Government-aided schools of India. In this unprecedented COVID crisis, the Foundation is serving meals to the needy. As on 6th October 2020, a total of 9-crore meals was served to low-income and marginalised sections of society.

Ways to make a difference on #WorldFoodDay2020 with Akshaya Patra:

• Serve cooked meals to individuals
In the ongoing crisis of the COVID-19 pandemic, Akshaya Patra is serving hot and freshly-cooked meals to needy people hailing from challenging socio-economic backgrounds. So far, 5,19,56,876 cooked meals have been served.

• Support needy families with grocery kits
To help marginalised families, Akshaya Patra is distributing grocery kits that contain dry ration to help them sustain in this crisis hour. Each kit is filled with food items like rice, pulses, spices, oil and vegetables. As on 6th October 2020, 8,53,534 grocery kits have been served.

• Spread joy with happiness kits
To continue its service towards children, happiness kits are distributed to mid-day meal beneficiaries. Each happiness kit contains nutrition and immunity-rich food, hygiene items and educational supplies. So far, a total of 1,17,959 happiness kits have been distributed.

• Feed children and lactating mothers with Anganwadi kits
As a part of the Anganwadi Kits Programme, feed a nursing mother and her child with 2 kits that take care of their meals. Glucose biscuits, Horlicks and milk powder are provided along with spices and pulses.

Make this World Food Day meaningful by feeding the needy people. Amid this COVID-19 crisis, every donation provides the most basic necessity – food. Show your generosity by making online donations towards Akshaya Patra and helping low-income sections of the society survive.

“A mentor empowers a person to see a possible future.” – Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan

Teachers are the hands that guide us through the phase of our childhood. They play a major role in our school lives. They are the first people who encourage us to be creative, trigger our curiosity and activate logical questioning and reasoning. Let us remember our mentors on this Teacher’s Day.

Role of teachers
Teachers are the people who mold children’s career and future. The primary role of a teacher is to deliver classroom instructions that will help them learn. Teachers prepare effective lessons to ensure that students excel in their academics. Apart from this, there are limitless roles a teacher plays in the lives of children.

Teachers become guardians
Schools tremendously contribute to a child’s development. Teachers are a major part of the formative years that shape their personality. Children spend most of their time with teachers where they develop a comfort zone. They feed the children when in need, they become friends that share joys and sorrows, resulting in a strong bond of trust.
With the guidance of teachers, children learn certain values like they would learn at home from their parents. They learn social skills like making friends, distinguishing between right and wrong, when to seek help from others or when to be independent.

Teachers are mentors
Students always look up to their teachers and may unknowingly imitate them too. Often children walk up to their teacher for small and big issues and the teachers reciprocate amicably to solve their issues. Teachers also provide guidance to their aspirations so that children have a clearer picture of their goals and the ways to achieve it.

Stories of children who have taken inspiration from their teachers

Shruti is a 3rd standard from Telangana who is inspired by her Biology teacher. Though she is not sure of what she wants to be when she grows up yet, becoming a teacher is definitely one of her options. Her school, Margons Ragon School hosted a Science Exhibition that Shruti was a part of. Her teacher slid a slide of what looked like a dead piece of algae, under a microscope. To Shruti’s surprise, the algae that she saw in the microscope was moving! She was inspired to teach such interesting topics to other children.

Shravani is a 9th standard student who aims to be a teacher. Her desire to be a teacher grew stronger as she entered high school. If there was an issue that she encountered, be it study-related or anything related to academics, she would share it with her favourite teacher – Ms. Usha Rani. She was inspired by how her problems would vanish as soon as she shared with her teacher. On growing up, she wants to become a teacher who is very close to her students where all of them confide and her.

Munna is a 14-year-old boy studying in M.P Prathamika Patashala, Telangana who wants to be a Telugu teacher. He feels that values, morals and education should be imparted in the local language since it is easily understood. He is inspired to be a Telugu teacher from his Telugu teacher whom he was able to connect with ease. Munna says, the amount of impact a local language has on children will not have the same impact as a foreign language.

Conclusion
On this Teacher’s Day, honour your favourite teacher by taking care of children who aspire to take forward this profession. Donate for children’s Happiness Bags with Akshaya Patra. The NGO that works towards its core cause of feeding mid-day meals to children has initiated the Happiness Bag Programme to support health and education of children amid the COVID-19 crisis.