Confess! How many hours a day do you spend on social media? Even if you’re in a self-imposed exile, the temptation to take a quick peek at a friend’s picture on Instagram or Facebook, or read your favourite celebrity’s tweet is simply irresistible. Whether we accept it or not, whether we like it or claim not to like it, we’re all clocking hours on the social scene. That gave us an idea – why not put all those hours to good use? Why not use it to spread the word about #HungryForSchool.

Our plan is really simple. Every day when you log in to your favourite social media website, send out a small message to all your friends – using the hash tag #HungryForSchool.

It could be about your feelings towards children going hungry every day. It could be about people wasting food when there are millions in need of it. Or it could be about education. Or progress. Or the country’s future. Or even ideas that could help us reach out to more children. Express yourself, move others to action and work towards change.

We’re listening to each one of you, and paying close attention to each message that comes in with the hash tag. Through a concerted effort we can make this an empowering movement. Let us all work towards the same goal – feeding and educating India’s future. Let us spread the word about #HungryForSchool.

This week, we focus on the girl child. She is often neglected, underestimated and relegated to the background. She is expected to give way to her brothers, even if she is smarter by a mile. Often, when the family faces a financial crisis, she is the one expected to drop out of school, and fend for herself. Akshaya Patra has played a crucial role in the lives of many such young girls. By providing them with a free mid-day meal at school, we’ve given them their aspirations back. We’ve helped feed many a young girl’s dreams. Here are a few inspiring stories of young girls who with a little help from us, beat the odds and get educated every day.

Meghashree
Tough, intelligent and mild-mannered, Meghashree is someone who knows her goals. She wishes to become a Software Engineer someday. She has a single mother who struggles to send her three children to school, and Meghashree knows only too well the importance of studying hard and getting a scholarship. Even at her young age, she does not want her mother to feel burdened by her dreams, or with the responsibility of providing for her. She says that the mid-day meal provided at school eases the pressure on her mother a bit, and gives her the energy to keep going.

Shyamala
Her young shoulders carry the burden of her whole family. After Shyamala’s mother died, she started cooking for her father and brother, but sometimes, she has to ask her aunt for food. However, her father ensured that the children are enrolled in school. There they have a filling, nutritious mid-day meal every day. Her dream is to get a stable job and look after her family.

Suchismita
“I want to be a Police Officer when I grow up and throw all the thieves in prison”, exclaims Suchismita, when asked about her ambition. She comes from a family of limited means, and school is a way of out her current situation. The teachers like her for being sweet natured, and say that she has a keen interest in Social Sciences and English. For Suchismita and her sibling, the food they provide at school is a huge blessing, and her favourites are soya bean and matar paneer!

It is heart-warming stories like these that push us to redouble our efforts to provide food for education to children in need. Help us raise awareness and support for our cause by sharing this article and our other work with your friends and family.