Akshaya Patra, an NGO in India, started its journey in 2000 by feeding 1,500 children in five government schools in Bengaluru. Since then, we have been working dedicatedly to better the lives of children. At present, we are serving over 2 million children across 15 states and 2 Union Territories. Our vision is that ‘no child in India shall be deprived of education because of hunger’. So far, we have served over 3.3 billion meals since inception. By adhering to the local palette, we satisfy the food preferences of our beneficiaries and provide nutritious meals without compromising on quality.

As an implementing partner of the Government of India’s PM POSHAN Abhiyaan (formerly known as Mid-Day Meal Programme), we strive to address the critical issues of classroom hunger and malnutrition among schoolchildren by providing nutritious meals in schools.

23 years of serving happiness

At this juncture of celebrating our 23rd anniversary, we are aware that there is more work to be done to ensure proper nutrition for many more children across the country. Throughout a network of 67 kitchens (65 centralised and 2 decentralised), we are serving meals to millions of children on a daily basis and are supporting their education and encouraging them to pursue their dreams. When children receive nutrient-rich food, it will improve their physical, mental and social well-being. The power of nutrition gives them the energy to concentrate on their class and perform well in academics. Thus, programme helps in reducing the socio-economic disparities in accessing good food and quality education.

Throughout this journey, we have been adhering to the governance principles, including transparency and accountability. In recognition of our commitment to the work, we have received numerous awards, including, the ‘Gold Shield for ‘Excellence in Financial Reporting’ by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) for seven consecutive years. We have also conferred with the Gandhian Peace Prize in 2016 for the contribution to bridge the socio-economic gap by providing mid-day meals in schools. In 2006, Harvard Business School chose Akshaya Patra as a case study and stated that the organisation’s centralised kitchen model is the best to feed a large number of children. All these accolades are a testament to our efforts to guarantee every child has an equal opportunity to create a brighter future.

In addition to providing meals to schoolchildren, we also run other community development programmes like feeding homeless mothers in Vrindavan, pregnant and lactating mothers and children in Anganwadi centres in India. The objective of all these programmes is to ensure proper nutrition for everyone who is at higher risk of health complications due to their financial limitations. During times of disasters, we were always at the forefront, providing humanitarian relief by providing food aid to the affected and vulnerable communities and thus supporting them to overcome the challenges of times.

We still have a long way to go to ensure that no child goes to bed hungry. Our mission is to feed 3 million by 2025 and we are committed to work relentlessly to maximise the impact of the MDM scheme.

Support Akshaya Patra for the cause of unlimited food for education.

• Donate online – https://www.akshayapatra.org/donate-online
• Conduct an online fundraising campaign – https://www.akshayapatra.org/fundraise-with-us

Introduction

Children who suffer from poor nutrition in early childhood can develop nutritional deficiencies in iron and iodine, which can cause cognitive, physical and social/emotional developmental delays.

Malnutrition can result in long-term neural issues in the brain, impacting a child’s emotional responses, reactions to stress, learning disabilities and other medical complications.

Relationship between Nutrition and Education

• Nutrition is critical for the overall development of children, including physical and mental.
• For a healthy mind, children need healthy food.
• A healthy immune system improves their attendance in school which is vital for their educational growth.
• A balanced diet results in better sleep which is important for children’s development.

The Akshaya Patra Foundation gives school children the meals they deserve, with special focus on nutrition. The organisation aims at fighting malnutrition and supporting the right to education of children from challenging socio-economic backgrounds.

Based on our recent visit to Akshaya Patra located in JP Nagar Bengaluru, we came to know that they are currently serving more than 90,000 children across the city. The experience of visiting Akshaya Patra’s kitchen was mesmerising.

Conclusion

Based on these facts articulated above, we can conclude that mid-day meals contribute to overall development of children, which would have otherwise been ignored due to the vulnerabilities of the EWS (Economically Weaker Sections). Due to the organised and collaborative efforts of Akshaya Patra, the mid-day meals are able to cater to such a large group of needy children.

Created and complied by:
Dushyanth Peddi
Richie Agarwal
Swati Pandey