“I want to give something back to society. So I have decided that when I become a teacher, I will help educate the poor,” says Yashoda from Bengaluru.
“I don’t want to see people hungry, so I have decided that when I grow up I will serve the needy,” says Runiguru from Puri.
“I want to become a teacher when I grow up and ensure all the children in my village are educated,” says Ashwini from Bhilai.
“I feel I am indebted to my country and I would like to serve my nation as an army officer,” says Darshan from Bengaluru.
These are the dreams of just a few of Akshaya Patra’s young beneficiaries in India.
These noble aspirations exemplify the important role the Mid-Day Meal Programme plays in effecting social change. By bringing underserved children to school with the promise of easing their hunger, the Mid-Day Meal Programme also introduces them to a platform where they can explore their competencies, aspirations and values.
Being products of an unequal society themselves the children understand the struggles facing millions of families across India and frequently express a desire to pay it forward by working for the benefit of society.
By nurturing the dreams of thousands of children like these we will be able to see a remarkable change in almost every facet of Indian society and economy, in just a generation or two.
And it all starts with every one of us helping to provide a daily, nutritious mid-day meal.
