Getting involved in a charitable organisation is a very personal decision, one that is approached differently for each person. The kind of charity chosen; the amount of time, effort or money spent; or the degree of personal interaction with the charity all vary depending on the nature of the donor. That’s why we at The Akshaya Patra Foundation have made it a point of vital importance to have a range of engagement options to choose from. After all, working for a cause should be as enriching for you as it is for us.

So if you would like to get involved with Akshaya Patra, here are some fun options to choose from, and there’s something for everyone:

Organise an activity – If you are the go-getting, detail-oriented, list-making type, raise awareness for the cause by organising an event at a Government school where Akshaya Patra serves the mid-day meal, or at another suitable venue. Else you can also take part in an event that is being organised by the Foundation. Have fun planning and executing the programme with the help of the Akshaya Patra team! (Know more)

Support us online – For those of you who are more homebody’s, help spread the word by promoting Akshaya Patra on your social networking sites, blogging about us, registering yourself as an online fundraising volunteer, forwarding our mailers to your family and friends, using our screen savers and posters for your computer, and introducing Akshaya Patra to your online communities and fans. (Know more)

Partner with us – Do you have a business you would like to associate with Akshaya Patra? Then make us a part of your CSR plan! Start a long-term campaign, or a yearly contribution; make a single donation or raise awareness for us, there’s lots you can do if you choose to partner with us. (Know more)

Fundraise for us – Be the local hero by fund-raising with us, either at home, at school or in the community. Do it yourself, or get a team together to create your own fund raising campaign and run the show right from getting it started to paying in the funds. Remember more funds means more food, for more children, and you can help us get there! (Know more)

Banner Advertising – Download and print our banners and put them up in your locality to let people know about Akshaya Patra. Simple yet effective, this easy solution will help us reach out to a lot more people through you, than we could alone. (Know more)

We understand that we all have different lives and needs. If you don’t have the time or energy to devote to our cause, a single/repetitive donation will still make a big difference. If you would like to fill your day or change your lifestyle, volunteer to spend time at the schools with the children or coordinate for a programme. You can do as much or as little as you wish and we will appreciate you whole-heartedly all the same. Join with us, so that together we can #EndClassroomHunger.

If you have any other ideas/queries, write to us at infodesk@akshayapatra.org

According to the World Bank, India ranks amongst the highest countries with children suffering from malnutrition. Despite a rapidly growing economy, the disparity between the poor and the middle-class family in India grows wider, with young children all over the country taking up manual labour and dubious forms of income to earn enough for their daily meal.

Malnutrition affects children in different ways. Physically it stunts their development, reduces the efficiency of their immune system, and increases their risk of long term ailments and infections. Cognitively malnutrition decreases the ability to concentrate, and causes impaired learning skills and memory capacity. Socially malnutrition can cause reduced language development and social skills. Economically poverty keeps children and their families tied in a cycle of malnutrition that can continue for generations. Parents cannot afford to send their children to school because they need to contribute to the daily income, while children in turn grow up to be uneducated, predominantly unemployed, and lacking regular access to healthy food. It is this link between hunger and education that has helped perpetuate poverty in India.

Classroom hunger is a very real thing in India. Children who long to be educated may never see the inside of a classroom because of hunger. They cannot afford to spend a day studying when their family’s welfare depends on them contributing to the income. They cannot concentrate or analyse information when their bellies are starved of food.

The mid-day meal programme proposed by the Government of India, and taken up by NGOs across the country aims to address this issue of classroom hunger. By forming a public-private partnership with organisations like The Akshaya Patra Foundation, children are provided the free, tasty and nutritious mid-day meal at Government, and Government aided schools.

These meals act as an incentive for parents to send their children to school by relieving them of an extra mouth to feed, while it combats malnutrition in children and provides them with access to education at the same time. A study of the Akshaya Patra mid-day meal programme has shown how effective this initiative is. By gaining regular access to sufficient food, the children benefitting from the programme have shown better concentration in class and academic progress, more classroom attendance and school enrolment, and lower school dropout rates.

Though malnutrition is an insidious ailment eating away at India’s socio-economic progress, initiatives like the mid-day meal programme provide a viable means to cure the cause and not just the symptoms. With the concerted efforts of the Government of India, corporates, donors and other well-wishers, India can one day achieve a hunger free society.