Millions of children are exploited for cheap labour and some of them don’t even know that they are being exploited. Many of these children are mostly forced by their families to be a helping hand to the family’s financial situation. Poverty is one major factor that ensnared into child labour.

“There is no place for child labour in society. It robs children of their future and keeps families in poverty.”
Guy Ryder, ILO Director-General

Unpaid or paid work, both deprive children of a well-deserved education. Can you imagine a child who has never seen the bright side of life but has always either worked with poisonous substances in a factory or has taken the role of a caretaker to babysit their siblings?

Over 9 million children could be pushed into child labour by 2022: International Labour Organisation (ILO)
But, is this the case only with India?
No, it is prevalent all over the world.

According to the latest report by ILO and UNICEF, the number of children has risen to a shocking number of 160 million, worldwide.

Many NGOs in India and worldwide work towards eliminating child labour at the grass-root level. What are the root causes?
There are many interlinking factors, if we do not address the root cause, then we will never be able to address the issue.

• Poverty
Without a second thought, poverty is the most powerful influence in pushing children into child labour. When basic requirements like food, shelter, health or education become luxurious commodities, children are forced to supplement their family’s income.

• Lack of quality education
It is a prevalent fact that mostly, children coming from challenging backgrounds do not get access to quality education in private institutions due to lack of funds, etc. Though you can donate to NGOs that support children’s education, there is always a gap that is difficult to bridge.

And this gap can be reduced by a simple intervention called the Mid Day Meal Scheme (MDM Scheme). Education and food are the two solutions that could tackle child labour. Various states implemented this programme after its success in Tamil Nadu. After the mandate of the Supreme Court of India in 2001, all the states started implementing school meals for primary and upper primary school children.

The Mid Day Meal Scheme could work to bring children to school and help them become regular so that the social evil of child labour has no space to grow.

\To support the Government of India to feed and educate children, The Akshaya Patra Foundation – an NGO in India provides unlimited food for education to 1.8 million children in need every day.

Mid day meals relieve them of the burden of working for their daily meals. Donate to feed the children who need you the most to overcome every little hurdle in their life. Join us in our feeding initiatives.

One well-fed and educated child is one less child on the list of child labour.

Is Akshaya Tritiya only about buying gold for unending prosperity?
Well, it is beyond just gold.
In Sanskrit, the word ‘Akshaya’ stands for unlimited while ‘Tritiya’ means the third lunar day of the Vaisakha month. Many histories mark this day and one of the most famous ones is that of Draupadi. She receives the gift of ‘Akshaya Patra’ – the inexhaustible vessel of food, during Pandava’s period of exile. Akshaya Tritiya is also regarded as a special occasion because of the birth of Annapoorna Devi – the Goddess of food.

Akshaya Tritiya is also considered a day of charity in India because of the belief that an act of kindness or any good deed will bring everlasting peace, prosperity and happiness to the entire family.

What can you do on Akshaya Tritiya?
Anything that you do on this special occasion is free of time restrictions; every minute is auspicious on Akshaya Tritiya. Whether you buy gold, any metal or donate to NGOs, you carry a sense of prosperity and happiness with you for the rest of the year.

Buying gold
The yellow metal is considered to be a form of Lakshmi – the Goddess of Wealth. So buying gold is synonymous with welcoming Goddess Lakshmi. Besides it being an investment, it is also believed to bring good luck and prosperity.

Buy a new home/vehicle
Buying vehicles or any means of transport represents longevity in life. It also becomes a medium that ensures your safety. Alternatively, buying a new home and doing a house-warming ceremony brings in a lot of positivity by warding off negative aspects.

Start a new venture
Today is the day which gives a lot of importance to new beginnings. Whether you start a new business, website, company or any other new project, it is believed that you should start on this day. Starting a new venture like giving or donating also is considered to bring prosperity and long-lasting happiness.

Performing any act on this day of charity reduces the suffering of people and brings joy into their lives.

Being synonymous with this Akshaya Patra, The Akshaya Patra Foundation provides ‘unlimited food for education’ of children. Inherit good deeds in life by supporting food and education of children because ‘no child in India shall be deprived of education because of food.’

Akshaya Patra’s reach
The Akshaya Patra Foundation has earned the distinction of being the world’s largest NGO run school lunch programme, serving freshly cooked nutritious mid-day meals to over 1.8 million children in 19,039 schools in 14 states & 2 union territories. It is spread across 60 locations in India where locally palatable meals are provided to ensure that there is no wastage of food.

On this occasion of Akshaya Tritiya, donate to NGO like Akshaya Patra that nourishes children by eliminating classroom hunger on a daily basis. Your support on this one day can feed children for one full academic year. Support to bring them out of the clutches of malnourishment.