Assam, a rich, vibrant state that is famous for its breath-taking scenic beauty, is known to be the Gateway to North East India. The state is charming with its unspoiled natural beauty, swarming with wildlife, tea gardens and warm, welcoming people.

Though rich in natural resources, Assam is also home to many natural disasters which lead to the displacement of large population time and again. And hence Assam also has a large population that is displaced and economically disadvantaged. Tens of thousands of children are unable to attend school, as priority given to surviving and earning for a square meal a day is greater than accessing education.

Recognising this, in 2009, Akshaya Patra was invited by the State Government of Assam, to implement the Mid Day Meal Scheme in Guwahati as a measure to reduce dropout rates, increase enrolment in schools and eliminate child labour in the state capital. Akshaya Patra embraced the invitation and immediately set up shop in Guwahati. However it was not an easy task. Provision for basic amenities such as drinking water, drainage facility and even electricity had to be made. Hence the setting up had to be made from scratch. A reverse osmosis plant was set up for drinking water, drainage facility was constructed and generators were installed for reliable electric supply. During February 2010, the kitchen was officially inaugurated and today Akshaya Patra serves over 53,000 children from 592 schools in Guwahati, Assam.

The kitchen at Guwahati is an ISO 22000:2005 certified centralised unit. Apart from catering to the schools, the unit has also participated in other developmental initiatives within the city. For example, 47,000 steel plates were distributed to Government school children in the recent past. During its initial days, Akshaya Patra had even provided 15 schools with bore-wells and toilets, in collaboration with Infinity Townships Pvt Ltd.

You could read case stories of the beneficiaries from Guwahati here.

Akshaya Patra has been working towards spreading its wings in the state of Assam and has been gifted with support from the State Government of Assam, by allotting land and giving subsidies. However the organisation needs continued support from philanthropic donors and well-wishers to gain momentum to reach more and more children in the state. Support us by donating online or contact us on the below address.

The Akshaya Patra Foundation
Village Numalijula, Mouza Sila,
Siduri Gopha, NH – 31
Amingaon, Guwahati – 781031 (Assam)

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations was founded on October 16, 1945 and to honour this day World Food Day is observed every year around the world.

Every year a theme is set to celebrate the day, and the World Food Day theme for 2013 is “Sustainable Food Systems for Food Security and Nutrition.”

Most of the themes are concerned with agriculture and encouragement to invest in education and health because the improvement of these three areas will result in the overall development of the country.

India is in a state of urgency to eradicate hunger, poverty and illiteracy. Proving food to children as an incentive to enroll and attend school poses as a solution for all three of these issues plaguing our country. When children receive wholesome, tasty meals in school they will not have to resort to child labour to earn money for food. They stay in school, and a satiated appetite allows them to focus on their academics and eventually complete school and be prepared for mainstream society.

Since its inception in 2000, the Akshaya Patra Foundation has strived to improve the state of food security and literacy for children in the country. The organization provides mid-day meals to over 1.3 million children in India every day. The food prepared in its centralized and decentralized kitchen is delivered to 1,0050 schools in nine states.

This programme aims at not only eradicating hunger and illiteracy but also significantly improving child nutrition. According to the Global Hunger Index, in India 43.5 per cent of children under the age of five are underweight. Akshaya Patra ensures the use of healthy ingredients in the mid-day meals that satisfy all the dietary requirements for growing children.

It is our collective responsibility to do all we can to ensure that education and food is readily available to all children of India. It is our duty as more fortunate citizens of society to help those who rely on us. Together we can build a better India.  Donate today!