“I hope you don’t mind me asking, but what brought you here? You’re a Brandeis graduate, you could be anywhere in the world,” I asked Geeta.

It was a causal Wednesday and like most Wednesdays, this one was full of its own mid-week nightmares. By the time I met Geeta, I was beginning to think the nightmare would never end. I asked the question almost as an afterthought, but I’m glad I did. Her answer kept me going for the rest of the day. In fact, it will stay with me forever.

“Have you visited the kitchen?” she asked. “It’s an amazing experience.”

She had heard of Akshaya Patra 9 years ago, when some of her friends told her about the organization. Curious to know more, she decided to visit our Bangalore kitchen and learn about what we do. After all, if she was going to donate money, she had to make sure it was going to the people.

“I came at four in the morning, because they said that’s when the kitchen started its preparations.”

“At four?” I asked, unable to process the information. For self-professed lazy people like me, four in the morning is a strange, alien concept.

“Yes four,” she replied with a smile sensing I must be a lazy person. I tried to put on a respectable frown.

In the early hours of the morning, she watched as they meticulously prepared for the coming day. Cutting vegetables, washing rice, cleaning dal.

“It was so wonderful to see it all. I couldn’t believe how much food they cooked in a few hours.”

Nearly 100 000 mails each day. I recalled the statistics. Close to 1.2 million meals across India. I knew all the facts and figures, but not until I heard her say it, did I realize the enormity of the work involved. One hundred thousand meals in just a few hours, I thought to myself. It is amazing. 1.2 million across India.

It’s more than just a figure, I thought to myself. Geeta’s enthusiasm was infectious.

“I saw them pack the food and followed one bus in its route. I saw the children eating the food. They were so happy. I have to tell you, it was an amazing experience! After that, I wanted to do everything I could to help them.”

So she started with raising funds for the organization. She made it her personal goal to help at least one child each day, went to all her friends and spread the word about the plight of children in India today. She told them about the staggering reality of these children’s lives, about her experience and her belief that if we work together we can really make a difference.

I heard her talk and I realized something. There are people in this world who spend each day complaining about the problems we face as a society: we have a population problem, we’re not doing enough as a country, our roads are not good enough, the system needs to change etc etc etc. The list is endless. We point our fingers and tch tch in a melancholy way about corrupt practices.

Then there are people who won’t say a word. They go about their life quietly, taking one step at a time, with a quiet confidence, with faith in the belief that if we simply do our work, things will change for the better.

Now if only I could stop being lazy…

Excerpts from an interview with Mr. V. Gopalratnam, VP IT and CIO Cisco India regarding Cisco’s association with Akshaya Patra.

Mr. V. Gopalratnam heads the Civic Council at Cisco India and it is under his leadership that the Cisco India community is working on social initiatives focused on strengthening communities and having a positive impact on them.

Q) How has CISCO involved/associated with Akshayapatra?

A) Cisco partners with Akshaypatra for the Global Hunger Relief campaign. The Global Hunger Relief campaign was launched in 2001 by Cisco globally. Every year since then, Cisco has united to provide donations to the world’s bes hunger relief organisations. In India, our exclusive partner is Akshaypatra. Our focus is on the Feted a Child program for government school children – run by Akshaypatra. We raise funds for them so they can continue their Mid Day Meals feeding program in government schools across Karnataka.

In this way, Cisco is indirectly having a positive impact on children’s education – as this program acts as a great incentive for under-privileged kids to attend school.

In Cisco, the Global Hunger relief campaign runs every year in months of November and December – globally, where employees and teams are encouraged to contribute toward charity. Each employee contribution is matched by Cisco Foundation as well as the John Morgridge Foundation (John Morgridge is Cisco’s Chairman of the Board Emeritus) – affectively tripling the amount of money that is contributed to the chosen charities.

Q) How long has been the association?

A) Cisco’s association with Akshaypatra has been consistent for 3 yrs, since 2007.

In the first year, Cisco employees contributed enough funds to feed 10,000 children in government schools for an entire year, in the second year we contributed toward feeding 20,000 school children and for the current year we are being able to feed 30,000 school children through Akshaypatra’s Mid Day Meals program.

Q) What kind of funding has been provided by CISCO to the organisation? As in, has CISCO helped with providing transportation/ machinery etc to the institution?

A) In 2007/08, Cisco employees contributed enough funds to feed 10,000 children in government schools for an entire year, in 2008/09 we contributed toward feeding 20,000 school children and for the current year we are being able to feed 30,000 school children through Akshaypatra’s Mid Day Meals program. Cisco’s efforts with Akshaypatra is focused on sponsoring the Feed a Child program also known as the Mid Day Meals program in government schools. In some cases, the government schools that we want to sponsor are actually identified by Cisco, but the bulk of the schools are Akshaypatra associated.

Q) What kind of programmes has CISCO and Akshayapatra jointly executed for the children?

A) Our focus is on the Feed a Child program for government school children – run by Akshaypatra, also known as the Mid Day Meals Program.

We also involve Akshaypatra in our own efforts – led by Cisco volunteers. Last year our volunteers identified 6 schools around the Cisco campus area, here in Bangalore. We conducted summer camps in these government schools, teaching basic hygiene and health related subjects. We provided mid day meals during the summer vacations when the schools were not in session – and this was done in association with Akshaypatra.

This year we will also feed school kids in government schools based in Raichur district, which is the area affected by devastating floods – in association with Akshaypatra. At this point, this project – called Project Samudaya- is a work in progress with the organization.

Q) Has CISCO helped with provide educational support to the children who come to the NGO?

A) Cisco volunteers work in the health and education areas for the underprivileged where we conducted summer camps in these government schools, teaching basic hygiene and health related subjects. We also involve Akshaypatra in these efforts – led by Cisco volunteers. Last year our volunteers identified 6 schools around the Cisco campus area, here in Bangalore. We provided mid day meals during the summer vacations when the schools were not in session – and this was done in association with Akshaypatra.

This year we will also feed school kids in government schools based in Raichur district, which is the area affected by devastating floods – in association with Akshaypatra. At this point, this project is a work in progress with the organization.

Q) What are the future plans with Akshayapatra?

A) With Akshaypatra, we hope to have a long term association. We will continue to support them as a part of Cisco’s Global Hunger Relief Program.

We are now working with Akshaypatra on a Cisco project, called Project Samudaya. These philanthropic efforts are aimed toward the flood affected areas of Northern Karnataka – specifically Raichur district. Cisco has committed $10 million toward rehabilitating 4 villages in that area. We are working with Akshaypatra to feed school kids in government schools based in Raichur district.

Q) Has CISCO collaborated with the NGO outside Karnataka?

A) Cisco has made many efforts in collaborating – through technology, and otherwise – for philanthropic reasons with NGOs and educational institutions across India.

Firstly – as an initiative of the India Civic Council, Cisco has a technology oriented program with educational institutions – the Cisco Networking Academy program – created for deserving and under privileged students. The whole technology setup has been donated by Cisco to the education institutions. The basic curriculum of this program is free of cost. It is currently being offered in 24 states and 107 tier 3 cities across India.

Next – Cisco has an MoU with the Government of Rajasthan for the Cisco Networking Academy initiative for marginalized students below the poverty line.

Next – Cisco has a technology initiative with a global NGO – One World, with presence in New Delhi. Cisco has donated a solution based on Cisco Unified Communications technology for rural areas. The service provides information to local farmers and population regarding agriculture and life-stock queries. The local population can come to the UC equipment powered centers to seek answers from subject matter experts across the country. This service is provided by One World Inc. in local languages and is currently available across 4 states in India.

Next – Cisco is actively involved with NGOs by providing technology solutions in Andhra Pradesh to the Dr. Reddy Foundation for education of marginalized children and also in Calcutta with Unnatti, an NGO involved in teaching deaf children.

Finally, our employees are associated at the local level with charities in different parts of the country- with Make a Wish Foundation for terminally ill children, New Delhi based Arya orphanage, and other local charities.