December is a good time to look back upon the year that’s gone by. This makes December 5 an apt day to be International Volunteer Day. Various volunteer institutions and individual volunteers, understanding the need for their contribution to society, have selflessly been a part of various volunteer activities throughout the year.

This reminds us of the recent floods in Gorakhpur and Gujarat, where the contribution by various volunteers has been commendable. They have helped the denizens cope with the damage caused by the disaster.

International Volunteer Day for Economic and Social Development, also known an International Volunteer Day (IV Day), is a great day to recall all of their contributions. It is a day dedicated by the United Nations since 1985 to give a people an opportunity to make visible contributions.

Theme this year:

The theme for 2017 – ‘Volunteers Act First. Here. Everywhere.’ recognises volunteers as the first person available to help times of crisis. They ensure their presence around us in times of need, save lives and support people. They brave dangers to help others. They are driven by the will to make a difference to those in need of assistance. This year, the day recognises contribution of such individuals and organisations.

Why volunteering?

The contribution by volunteers help in implementing new global goals. The development can be sustainable and mobilise and engage Governments and communities. It’s not about money all the time. While the individual and community benefits from the effort put in the volunteers, it can have a lasting impact on the progress of the individual themselves.

• Wellbeing

Volunteering for a cause makes a person feel a sense of accomplishment. According to The Corporation for National and Community Service, volunteering improves psychological and physical health. It helps them build social networks.

• Resume building

Such activities help in building resume. The mention of these in your resume demonstratesthat volunteer work is also an important part of your resume. A history of volunteering activities in your resume shows your willingness to work for the betterment of the society.

• Positive parenting

Volunteer activities are important to teach children the importance of sharing and caring among children. Developing these emotions in children well in advance can make them responsible individuals.

Akshaya Patra’s role in social development

With a mission to ensure that no child in India is deprived of education due to hunger, the organisation performs a selfless task of delivering freshly-made nutritious meals to over 1.6 million children across India. The Foundation runs the largest NGO-run school lunch programme.

The meals are cooked in our 34 kitchens in 32 locations across India. The dishes are prepared in a way that the meal meets the nutritional guidelines prescribed by the Government under the Mid Day Meal Scheme. This initiative ensures that the children get nutritious meals once in a day so that they turn out to be healthy individuals.

The programme has been running successfully with support from the Central and State Governments.

Be a volunteer

The Foundation invites individuals and corporates to be a part of the cause by volunteering with us. You can either be physically present or raise funds for the cause online.

You can help the kitchen staff prepare meals by cutting vegetables. You can help in offloading the vegetables at the kitchen or help the staff in loading the trucks with cooked meals. You can serve children in school and organise some activities for children at their schools.

If time is a constraint, you can help the Foundation by sharing information about the cause on your social media networks. You can start a fundraising campaign on our website.

Volunteer with The Akshaya Patra Foundation to ensure that our future generation grows up to be healthy and well-educated.

A basic necessity – food, sadly, is instead a luxury to millions of people across the world. The World Food Day, commemorated on October 16, to mark the founding of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in the year 1945, raises awareness about critical issues pertaining to hunger and poverty, placing a great emphasis on food security through its themes, which differ every year. In 2017, the theme for the day is ‘Change the future of migration. Invest in food security and rural development’.

Food security is a concern for people across the world, particularly in conflict zones. Poverty-stricken population in developing countries are susceptible to food insecurity. Political instability and food insecurity form a mutually-sustaining loop that is difficult to break, leading to an endless cycle of poverty, malnutrition and hunger.

In India, food insecurity, coupled with issues like hidden hunger (micronutrient deficiency), complicate matters further. In August this year, news reports suggested that the Central Government had advised State Governments to ensure mandatory fortification of food items like wheat, edible oil and salt in mid-day meals for school children. Statistics of the 4th National Family Health Survey (NFHS-4) revealed that in nine of India’s States and Union Territories, less than one-third children were stunted, while in Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Meghalaya, more than 40% of children were found to be so. Over 50% of the children are anemic in 10 of the states and Union Territories.

Akshaya Patra is doing much to battle hidden hunger, because the right kind of nutrition is as important as food security for the population. In Karnataka, 4,45,698 children in 2,665 Government schools benefit from the Foundation’s school lunch which includes rice fortified with 7 micronutrients; these include folic acid, vitamin B12 and iron. Projects such as these, when implemented across India and the world, go a long way in helping the cause of nourishment-for-all and take the world a few steps closer to the dream of a secure future.

This World Food Day, let’s come together to ensure that every school-going child is well-fed and educated. Feed them today!