The recently-released Akshaya Patra Annual Report for 2015-16, titled The Passioneers – Bound By Purpose. Driven By Passion, upholds a long tradition of the Foundation’s creative excellence in financial reporting. For the past few years, the organisation has been winning prestigious international and national awards for its highly creative, theme-based presentation of financials. The report this year takes people behind-the-scenes to paint intimate portraits of the faceless people who make the organisation. It includes engagingly told stories of members from different arms of the Foundation – kitchen staff, drivers, security guards and more, with wonderful graphics and illustrations.

At the 2015 Hermes Creative Awards, Akshaya Patra’s annual report for 2014-15, titled Giving Every Dream A Chance, won Platinum – the highest honour at the awards. The theme for the report was the organisation’s eponymous initiative – Giving Every Dream A Chance, which sought to encourage the dreams of the Foundation’s beneficiaries through month-long mentorships. It included beautiful, surreal, monochrome snapshots of the dreams of three children – Shivu – the aspiring astronomer, Manjula – the debuting actress and Shekar – a chef in the making. These spoke of the starry dreams of these young kids and the joy their mentorships under renowned experts brought them, along with a chance to showcase their newly-learned skills and knowledge.  This report also won Gold at the League of American Communications Professionals LLC (LACP) 2014-15 awards.

The Foundation’s much celebrated annual report for 2013-14, titled The Fab Five Superheroes, presented in comic-book style, told the story of its origins and tales of five of its beneficiaries. These young guns were Badal, Vinayak, Ambika, Munna and Mamatha. This unusual, original and highly imaginative annual report won multiple awards, including an Award of Excellence at the 21st Annual Communicator Awards; Gold at the LACP 2013-14 and a Silver at International ARC Awards. Similarly, the 2012-13 annual report won Gold at the 44th Creativity International Print and Packaging Design Awards. This report was designed as a child’s scrapbook!

Over the years, the Foundation’s award-winning annual reports have become illustrious examples of originality. They are testament to the fact that presenting the yearly highlights and financials of an organisation can be fun, imaginative and push the boundaries, without losing any of their seriousness. The ‘much-awaited’ tag that has been attached to Akshaya Patra’s annual reports is fully deserved! You can read and download the latest annual report right here.

In the quest for equality, a society must ensure that its differently-abled citizens find much dignity, support and inclusiveness. To achieve this end and encourage a greater understanding of the issues faced by people with disabilities, International Day of Persons with Disabilities, an initiative of the United Nations (UN), is observed around the world on December 03.

As with every year, this year too, the day features a unique theme –‘Achieving 17 Goals for the Future We Want’. These are the 17 Sustainable Development Goals adopted by the UN, one of which seeks to reduce inequality and ‘by 2030, empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status.’

Akshaya Patra’s unlimited food for education initiative seeks to lead children to equal opportunities by ensuring that they don’t quit school on account of hunger and stay on to complete their education. Among over 1.7 million beneficiaries of the Foundation, there are many that are differently abled. In Telangana, there’s Sirisha, who has a hearing impairment. The young girl, who travels 2-3 km from home to school and back again, wants to become a police officer. Then, there is Afreen, also from Telangana, who suffers from a deformity in her right hand, which has rendered it immovable. She is encouraged by her sister, another Akshaya Patra beneficiary named Nousheen, to be positive and emerge strong, despite her condition.

The Foundation feeds many such differently abled and special-needs beneficiaries. The promise of a mid-day meal encourages them to attend school, study well and take active interest in its activities. The organisation wishes these special children every success and is confident that they are and continue to be an inspiration for many people across the world.

Donate to the cause of Food for Education and support the aspirations of children across India!