It is no doubt that the magic of photographs is timeless! And to explore the world of photography with children as the focus, The Akshaya Patra Foundation had initiated the ‘Click a Smile’, an annual online photography competition in 2013. With the objective to spread smiles and hopes, Akshaya Patra has pinned one main criterion for this competition i.e. only happy pictures of a child or children will be accepted and exhibited in the contest. These photographs can be from anywhere in the world and in any setting – home, school, playground, or the neighbourhood.

The ‘Click a Smile’ photo contest is open for all regardless of age and nationality, and also encourages amateurs and professional photographers to participate in it. Since the beginning this contest has received an overwhelming response from across the world with more than 1,500 entries from across 70 countries, each year. Below are some of the criteria for Click a Smile – 2018:

• The photography contest is open from 20 November 2018 to 30 December 2018. All entries must be submitted within this time period;
• Each participant is allowed to submit a maximum of three photographs;
• Only digital (JPEG format) photographs within the resolution range of 800 pixels to 4MB will qualify for the contest;
• There is no registration fee for participating in the contest;
• The shortlisted entries will be judged by a panel of professionals from the photography industry; and
• The winners of the photo contest will receive trophies, certificates, and gift vouchers.

Not just prizes, all the winning entries will be published in Akshaya Patra’s official page for the ‘Click a Smile’ contest!

Well, it’s time to capture the joy of children and spread smiles all around you. It is time to capture that one moment which can brighten up your day even after many years from now. It is time to re-experience innocence, to jump on a puddle of water and to remember the good old friends. It is time to relive your childhood. And, as they say, ‘more the merrier’, so as you participate, invite your friends to join in too.

To register and know more about this photography contest, click here.

For detailed terms and conditions, please click here.

As a student, I can completely empathise with the little children who suffer from classroom hunger. Even after being from a privileged background, I have felt the hunger pangs many a times in classroom, mostly because either I would have skipped breakfast or lunch. But, what about those little children who suffer from classroom hunger not by choice, but due to circumstance? I have experienced and believe that when a child is deprived of food, when the child constantly feels the hunger pangs, he can neither concentrate in classroom activities nor give his best.

And, this is where I found my connect with The Akshaya Patra Foundation. My thought is in much alignment with the vision statement of the Foundation, “No child in India shall be deprived of education because of hunger”. This noble thought by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada instantly provoked me to choose Akshaya Patra as the organisation for my internship.

My time in Akshaya Patra

I was interning with the Corporate Partnership Department and my mentor was Mr Balakumar Rajaram. He constantly guided me and supported me in all aspects throughout the internship period. A typical day at Akshaya Patra always began with a cup of tea or coffee. This was followed by reviewing the progress made on an on-going project, and discussions on what new projects or ideas can we work on.

I will forever cherish my days at Akshaya Patra, especially the people and the sumptuous lunch I used to relish every day. Every member at Akshaya Patra were so welcoming that I never felt like an intern. And, I really don’t think I have ever had such a variety of nutritious meals anywhere else till date.

Most memorable moment

If I were to pick one memorable moment in Akshaya Patra, it would be my visit to the H.K. Hill kitchen. It was my first field visit as an intern in the organisation and I was much delighted to see the cleanliness, the machines, the standard and strict process maintained during cooking, and the quality of the meals. My sincere gratitude to Mr Balakumar for including this visit in my internship and for sparing his precious time to accompany me.

Akshaya Patra – A Great Place to Work

Akshaya Patra is one of the most reliable NGOs in India. The Foundation is constantly working towards eradicating classroom hunger, and this is in alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations: Zero Hunger and Quality Education. I feel this is a reason enough to recognise this organisation as a “Great Place to Work”.