Global hunger has been on a constant rise in the last few years. The COVID-19 situation has further threatened food security in the poor and marginalised sections of society. It is projected that 330 million will suffer from chronic hunger by the end of 2030.

To tackle the pandemic, new ideas were put in place by the Indian Government. However, the effect of curbing the spread of the disease led to food insecurity in the lives of millions of needy people in India. Food was a problem that the Government tackled by providing cooked meals. In association with various State Governments and District Administrations, The Akshaya Patra Foundation began its COVID-19 Relief Service.

As a part of this service, food was served as a solution to the hunger pangs of marginalised communities of India. Nutritious, cooked meals were served to needy individuals and grocery kits were provided to support the sustenance of low-income families. As of 15th October 2020, 5,33,09,910 cooked meals were served by the NGO and 10,26,399 families were supported with grocery kits.

Amid this COVID crisis, schools were shut to avoid the spread of the virus. This had a huge impact, reversing the years of progression on education.

90% of all students kept out of school amid the pandemic.

For most of the children studying in Government and Government-aided schools, mid-day meals are the only source of nutritious meals they get in a day. Schools remaining closed mean that children do not get the right amount of nutrition required for adequate development. To support the food and education of beneficiaries of the Mid-Day Meal Programme, Akshaya Patra initiated the Happiness Kits Programme. As a part of this programme, every beneficiary is supported with:

Apart from feeding mid-day meal beneficiaries, this NGO in India also takes care of pregnant and lactating mothers. Anganwadi Kits Programme was started to provide health and nutrition to children and nursing mothers. 2 kits to a lactating mother and her child will provide Glucose Biscuits, Jaggery, Spices, Hygiene Kit and Milk powder.

Support the needy population of India with your online donation. Every help goes towards providing millions of healthy meals to marginalised sections of society.

September is Hunger Action Month. Communities, NGOs and other organizations call upon for support to provide food relief to people belonging to challenging economic backgrounds.

690 million people worldwide are affected by hunger
with
381 million undernourished people living in Asia

With the present COVID-19 situation, it is estimated that 130 million more people will slip into the chronic hunger bracket by 2020. Given the pandemic, we need to take tangible steps to fight hunger; hence, the Need to Feed is NOW!

To tackle this situation, various NGOs including The Akshaya Patra Foundation have come together to provide food to the people in need. Akshaya Patra is an Indian NGO that works in tandem with the Government of India and various State Governments to implement the Mid-Day Meal Programme. Along with its core cause, this NGO steps in to provide food relief during crisis situations such as flood, cyclone, earthquake, and is currently serving the needy amid COVID-19 pandemic.

Akshaya Patra’s COVID-19 Food Relief Service
Akshaya Patra and its Associate Foundations started the COVID-19 Food Relief Service on 25th March 2020 and have served a cumulative of 7.8-Crore meals. The NGO has served 4,57,17,685 cooked meals and distributed 7,87,570 grocery kits across 19 states of India – Rajasthan, Karnataka, Telangana, Gujarat, Maharashtra, NCR, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Assam, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Tripura, West Bengal, Punjab, Jharkhand, and Himachal Pradesh.

Akshaya Patra’s Happiness Bags Programme
Out of the 690 million hungry people, 14 million children under the age of five worldwide suffer from severe acute malnutrition.
and
COVID-19 has kept 90% of all students out of school, which in turn reversed the years of progression on education.

Reason being this, apart from feeding migrants and daily-wage workers, Akshaya Patra initiated the Happiness Bags Programme for its mid-day meal beneficiaries.

Each Happiness Bag is packed with contents that support health and immunity, hygiene and education of children. Every bag provides:
• Immunity and nutrient-rich food items – glucose biscuit packs, peanuts, jaggery, double fortified salt, ragi flour, turmeric powder, and sambar powder.
• Hygiene kit with tooth brush, tooth paste and soap for all beneficiaries and a pack of sanitary napkin for girl beneficiaries.
• Study materials – an activity book, crayon set or colour pencils, Classmate notebook and pens or pencils.

Your contribution towards Akshaya Patra ensures no one goes hungry amid the prevailing pandemic. Your support provides nutritious meals to the needy thereby directly addressing acute, chronic, and hidden hunger.

This Hunger Action Month, go the extra mile to defeat hunger! Donate Now!