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 Ahmedabad kitchen in Gujarat for whom the only aim is to benefit more and more 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 in Akshaya Patra for the past 9 years.

What was life like before you joined Akshaya Patra?
Prior to joining Akshaya Patra, I was working in Vimal Limited as a canteen helper.

What does your work encompass?
As a Route Supervisor, I am part of the post-production stage. I have to check the vehicle condition as per the standard checklist, accompany the driver and helper of the meal delivery vehicle, record food delivery time, vessel count, and ERP entry. My work also encompasses visits to allocated schools and interaction with teachers and headmasters.

Why do you think there should be a constant communication between Akshaya Patra and schools?
Regular communication between Akshaya Patra and schools is necessary to maintain the quality of the programme. It acts like an awareness and feedback mechanism, where Akshaya Patra can share hygiene and cleanliness instructions to be followed while serving meals to children at school, and schools can give feedback regarding the quality and quantity of meals.

How do you address issues put forward to you?
Every day we review the feedback provided by schools. This way, if any issue has been put forth by a school, it gets addressed in a timely manner.

How has your life changed after joining Akshaya Patra?
I am in a better position to provide for my family and that makes me happy.

What makes working with Akshaya Patra special?
Working with Akshaya Patra gives me a sense of satisfaction at the end of the day. I feel proud that in some way I am able to help so many children which probably wouldn’t have been possible if I was engaged in some other job.

Since when have you been working in Akshaya Patra?
I have been working here for the past 9 years.

Why did you choose to join Akshaya Patra?
I wanted to begin my career with a good and long-term job. During the interview, I got to know about Akshaya Patra’s service of providing food to children. I realised that by joining Akshaya Patra I will get an opportunity to work for a good cause. So, I chose to join the NGO and I am glad to have taken the decision.

What was life like before you joined Akshaya Patra?
I had completed my studies and was looking for a job.

As a kitchen supervisor, what does your work encompass?
As a kitchen supervisor, I ensure all team members work together and complete their respective tasks. I am responsible to maintain records related to production processes, and ensure adherence to ISO standards during the entire production of meals.

Why is it important that kitchen processes are in order and meals are cooked in a hygienic way?
The food we cook is consumed by school children. It directly impacts their health and development. So, it is essential that hygiene and orderliness are maintained in the kitchen during pre-processing, processing, and post-production stages of meal preparation.

How has your life changed after joining Akshaya Patra?
These nine years have made me more responsible. I feel good and satisfied for being able to provide for my family along with being able to improve lives of children in some way.

What makes working with Akshaya Patra special?
Working with Akshaya Patra will always be special because it is my first job. Along with my professional growth, Akshaya Patra gave me an opportunity to grow as an individual. And, what more when every day I get a chance to serve the children of the country!

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 Telangana!

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

Strategy, planning, and Public-Private Partnerships have resulted in the steady growth and expansion of The Akshaya Patra Foundation.

Inaugurated on: 30th March 2018 witnessed the inauguration of the Foundation’s largest one-of-a-kind high-tech mega kitchen in Kandi, Telangana

Feeding capacity:  Over 1 lakh children in the region on each school day

Guests at the event: The kitchen’s inauguration was graced by Honourable Shri Kadiyam Srihari, Deputy Chief Minister & Education Minister, Telangana; Ms. Sudha Murty, Chairperson, Infosys Foundation; Chanchalapathi Dasa , Vice Chairman, The Akshaya Patra Foundation; Satya Gaura Chandra Dasa, President, The Akshaya Patra Foundation, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh; and other eminent state dignitaries.

To get the glimpse of the inauguration, visit: Kandi photo gallery

The kitchen has been established in partnership with Infosys Foundation. With a grant of INR 18.50 crores, Infosys Foundation has covered the entire construction cost of this kitchen.

All the dignitaries appreciated the efforts of Akshaya Patra and Infosys Foundation for establishing state-of-the-art mega kitchen. They expressed their support and encouragement for this new beginning.

To read the complete coverage of the inauguration, visit: Kandi Kitchen inauguration

The Kandi kitchen is spread across 64,438 square feet area with many salient features making it a state-of-the-art kitchen facility:

Silikal Industrial Flooring

The Silikal flooring is a completely non-porous, seamless, sealed surface which means no fissures or holes will be formed thereby reducing the colonization by microbes and bacteria and contributing to better hygiene. This flooring is resistant to alkalis, acids, greases, oils, salts and other aggressive media, and can withstand both hot and cold conditions. Its anti-skid quality prevents accidental slips and falls, plus it has a long durability with limited maintenance and lower lifecycle cost.

ReFlex Reverse Osmosys System

This is a water purifying system to make it more potable. It features Desalitech’s patented Closed Circuit Reverse Osmosis (CCRO) process that can recover up to 98% of the water treated. Flexible operation and resistance to scaling and fouling greatly improve the reliability of ReFlex RO systems. Operators can easily and automatically cope with variations in feed water and operational requirements.

COMBLOCK Boiler for Steam Generation

Generally there are two major options for a solid fuel fired steam boilers: Integrated Furnace Boiler and Hybrid Boiler. COMBLOCK Boiler is the latest in Boiler Technology which combines the best of the two designs and represents the best technological solution. It is highly compact, efficient, skid mounted and modular. It can reduce carbon footprint by up to 40%, and the pre-insulated and factory assembled feature reduces site work by up to 80%. It is quick to start and copes better with load fluctuations thereby increasing efficiency by up to 85%.

ANDICOS Waste to Energy Generation System

The Andicos design integrates state-of-the-art technologies like INDION IPC MBR and INDION Advanced Bio-methanation process to treat a combination of solid waste generated in sewage treatment process and organic kitchen waste generated in the kitchen. The combined waste is first homogenized in a pre-treatment process followed by the bio-methanation in INDION Advance Bio-methanation Reactor. The resultant biogas is further polished in a post-treatment process to produce energy using biogas engine. The heat generated from the biogas is used to dry the excess sludge to produce organic fertilizer for use in agriculture and landscaping.

The ReFlex Reverse Osmosys System and ANDICOS Waste to Energy Generation System¹ are the first of its kind technologies in India. The mentioned features of the kitchen will contribute to enhanced hygiene, increased production efficiency, and reduced cost along with being more environment- friendly.

Watch out this space to know more about the other salient features of this mega mid-day meal kitchen. We would love to hear from you. Share your ideas in the comments section and also spread the word in your network about the Foundation’s cause.

Reference:

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