The Conviction

Every child has a dream; each dream is valid – for their dreams, thoughts, and aspirations make these children what they are.

Giving Every Dream A Chance

In an effort to provide overall development for its beneficiaries, The Akshaya Patra Foundation launched ‘Giving Every Dream A Chance’ – an initiative to nurture the unique aspirations of children. It is the Foundation’s attempt to identify children with special dreams and give them the opportunity to realise their dreams by providing mentorship programmes wherein children will be coached, groomed, and guided by the experts of respective fields.

A Flashback

‘Giving Every Dream A Chance’ was launched on 11 June 2016 at the Vivanta by Taj, Bengaluru, by Chief Guest, Mrs. Sudha Murty – Chairperson, Infosys Foundation and a benevolent supporter of Akshaya Patra.

In Chapter 1 of the initiative, three beneficiaries: Shivu, Manjula, and Shekar were given necessary mentorship and training through professionals in the field of their choice.

• Shivu with the aim to become an astronaut received an in-depth insight and understanding of the celestial world under the guidance of Ms. Preethi Krishnamurthy, Senior Research Fellow in Astrophysics.
• Manjula, a budding actress, received a thorough professional training in theatre and acting at the Bangalore School of Speech and Drama under the guidance of Dr. Zulfia Shaikh.
• Shekar a chef in the making, got an opportunity to hone his culinary skills at The Taj Vivanta, Bengaluru under the guidance of Chef Ramasamy Selvarju.

The Present

The success and goodwill received for the initiative in Chapter 1 motivated Akshaya Patra to script Chapter 2.

In the year 2017, 300 children from 15 Government Schools in Bengaluru, Hubballi, Hyderabad, and Vrindavan were mentored in their respective field of interest. These children received training in various fields, with the support of professionals and specific academies such as:

• Sri Raksha Natya Kala Academy for classical dance
• Just for Kicks & Team were the coaches for football goals of children
• Art& Design Studio for origami
• Vivanta by Taj for culinary workshop
• Spektrum Dance Studio for freestyle
• High Heels for contemporary
• Mr. Mahesh, a professional theatre artist for a well-written play on cleanliness

On 14 April 2018, an event was organised to showcase the talents of the children at The Taj Vivanta, Yeswantpur, Bengaluru. The stage was enlivened by a variety of performances ranging from vocal and instrumental music, folk and contemporary dances, theatre acts, on-stage origami creations, and remarkable display of math talent. All the performances received reverberating applauses and praises from the guests and audiences. Aside from the performances of beneficiary children, the audience witnessed enthralling performances of Vaishnav Girish – participant of Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Lil Champs and Indian Idol Junior, and Anjana Padmanabhan – First Indian Idol Junior Winner.

The event came to a close with the launch of the mascot ‘Sunny’ and the two child characters ‘Bhoomi’ and ‘Akash’ representing “Swachh Vidyarthi, Swachh Vidyalaya, Swachh Gruha” – an initiative by Akshaya Patra to achieve Swachh Bharat.

Guests and Dignitaries

The ‘Giving Every Dream A Chance’ Event on 14 April 2018 at The Taj Vivanta was graced by select guests and dignitaries from various spheres of profession and talent.

Director of CBI, Special Director General CRPF Screenwriter was the Chief Guest for the evening.

– Padma Shri Honoree Shri D. R. Kaarthikeyan, Advisor- Law Human Rights – Corporate Affairs and         former Director General of National Human Rights Commission
– Mr. Roberto Narain – Head of Drumjam
– Mrs. Vasundhara Das – Singer, Actress, Composer, Lyricist, Entrepreneur and Environmental Activist
– Mrs. Mayuri Upadhya – Co-Founder and Director of Nritarutya Dance
– Arjun Halappa – Former Captain of the Indian Hockey Team.

The event was studded with prominent stars from the film and entertainment industry namely Suraj Gowda, Meghna Gaonkar, Dhananjay, Shruti Hariharan, Samyuktha Hegde, Vashista N Simha, Sonu Gowda, Ragini Dwivedi, Navdeep, Naveen, Arun Sagar, and Rajshri Ponnappa.

The event was presided by Shri Madhu Pandit Dasa – Chairman, The Akshaya Patra Foundation in the presence of Shri Chanchalapati Dasa – Vice Chairman, The Akshaya Patra Foundation, and the Unit Presidents of Akshaya Patra kitchens from across the country.

Guests Speak

Rajshri Ponnappa – “I am really honoured to get this chance to be a part of this platform, this opportunity that they (Akshaya Patra) are giving these children. Everybody deserves to dream and every dream deserves a chance. And, I think everybody coming here to support this, is fantastic.”

Roberto Narain – “My very reason to be here is – it’s very easy to talk but very difficult to do. So, the more you give the kids to go out and do things, we get the change we need.” When asked to define Akshaya Patra in three words, Narain said, I would rather define it in one word, that is ‘Dream’, and that’s the future.”

Vasundhara Das – Opining that the song ‘Any dream will do” rightly fits the initiative, she added, “It doesn’t matter what the dream is, what matters is how you go about getting there. And, a chance to follow your dream is the most precious thing in the world.”

Mayuri Upadhya – It’s truly an honour to be associated and be a part of such an event, such a beautiful initiative. And, Akshaya Patra definitely is doing a fantastic job. I have seen the documentaries on Akshaya Patra’s process of working in The Great Kitchens series, and they are right from the grass root level. I think every child is so different, every child is gifted with a very different intelligence whether it’s with art or sports. And, what we should do as a society and as an initiative is to create the best and suitable environment for it to flourish and blossom. And, that is being held and Akshaya Patra has taken the forefront in it.” She also acknowledged and appreciated the efforts of the mentors in guiding and coaching the children.

Samyuktha Hegde – “After seeing all of them (children) today, I am really glad and happy that our country is growing towards the idea of not just becoming engineers and doctors, but everything else that a child wants to be. I am glad to be a part of this.”

Arun Sagar – “If there’s innocence, we are all children. This was a really good act. I really liked it. Children’s performance was superb. What’s truly exciting to me is, I learn more when I work with children. It feels like I’m with God. For the organisation that is involved in this initiative must provide opportunities to all the children and also encourage them.”

For the complete video of the event, follow us on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/akshayapatra

The Journey Will Continue…
Akshaya Patra is looking forward to scaling up this initiative to transform lives of 5000 beneficiary children in the year 2018-19.

We would love to hear from you, so please use the below comment section to share your thoughts and feedbacks.

Read more about the event at Giving Every Dream A Chance 2018.

When most of us are fast asleep in the wee hours of the morning, there are few places bustling with energy. Each day at the strike of 4 a.m., different groups of people at different locations prepped up with safety and hygiene gears enter into huge kitchen infrastructures. Why? To prepare ‘meals of hope’ for children studying in government schools! And, so we call them the ‘Humans of Akshaya Patra.’

Meet some of our passionate members from Bengaluru kitchen for whom the only aim is ‘to benefit more and children with freshly cooked, nutritious, and hygienic meals on every school day’.

Since when have you been working in Akshaya Patra?
I have been working here for the past 12 years.

Why did you choose to join Akshaya Patra?
It all started when I saw a job advertisement in the newspaper. I thought of giving it a try and attended the interview. It was during the interview that I got to know the purpose of Akshaya Patra i.e. to serve food to children at government schools. This noble cause compelled me to join Akshaya Patra. And, I feel proud that I am in the service of children for more than a decade.

What was life like before you joined Akshaya Patra?
I completed my PUC, but couldn’t continue with further studies due to unfavourable financial conditions. So, to support my family, I was on a lookout for a job.

As a kitchen supervisor, what does your work encompass?
As a kitchen supervisor, I am responsible to maintain records related to production processes. I ensure ISO standards are followed at all levels of production such as raw material cleaning and washing, vessel cleaning, plant hygiene, and keep a check on CCP & OPRP.

Why is it important that kitchen processes are in order and meals are cooked in a hygienic way?
Children are our future and it is very important to ensure that the food served to them is safe, hygienic and clean. Thus, we follow ISO standards of food safety in all our kitchens.

How has your life changed after joining Akshaya Patra?
My journey with Akshaya Patra began as a Helper in the food cooking and packing section. Then, I worked as a Route Boy and was responsible for on-time delivery of meals to schools. After completing three years with the organisation, I was promoted to my current position of a Kitchen Supervisor. I am very happy and proud to work here. My financial condition has improved, and I have resumed my education on a correspondence basis.

What makes working with Akshaya Patra special?
Akshaya Patra is doing a noble work of providing food to children and by being a part of the organisation I am also able to contribute something to the lives of children. Additionally, Akshaya Patra conducts training sessions and employee engagement activities that improve our knowledge and skill, thereby helping us to perform better and keeping us motivated at all times.

Since when have you been working in Akshaya Patra?
I have been working here for the past 5 years.

Why did you choose to join Akshaya Patra?
I had an idea that Akshaya Patra is working for a social cause of providing food to children. This cause motivated me to join Akshaya Patra.

What was life like before you joined Akshaya Patra?
Though I was employed, I faced troubles in providing for my family and supporting the education of my children.

What does your job encompass?
As a Security Guard of my kitchen, I am responsible for checking and maintaining records on raw material receipt, take employee attendance, check employees at the entry gate to ensure safety, take regular rounds of the kitchen, check and regularise temperature of cold storage, and communicate shift allotments to employees.

How has your experience been so far?
I feel proud and happy to be associated with the Foundation. I am comfortable and look forward to continuing my service here.

How has your life changed after joining Akshaya Patra?
After joining Akshaya Patra, my financial condition has improved and I am able to take care of my family in a better way. Moreover, it gives me a sense of satisfaction because in some way I am helping thousands of children to receive nutritious meals every day.

What makes working with Akshaya Patra special?
There is a lot of discipline and regularity in the processes and functioning of Akshaya Patra. This instils a sense of responsibility and punctuality among all staff members. My association with Akshaya Patra has provided me an opportunity to get involved in a noble service. In addition, Akshaya Patra conducts training sessions to enhance the skill set and knowledge of all staff members and also conducts employee engagement activities which keep us motivated all the time.

Well, behind every great show, there are behind-the-scenes contributors. And, at Akshaya Patra, those contributors are our very own kitchen staff. Watch out this space to meet our passionate members from Assam! We would love to hear from you, so please use the below comment section to share your thoughts and feedbacks.