Every year on 25th December, people of all faiths rejoice on Christmas for it is marked by holidays, decorations, celebrations and positive energy everywhere.

It is the day Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, who is also believed to be the Son of God. He descended on earth despite being aware of his impending sufferings to rid his believers of misery. He was born to guide us on a path of hope and love, sacrificing himself for us.

The two most popular practices during Christmas celebrations are feasting on delicacies and the blissful exchange of gifts. Families and friends revel over lavish festive meals and have Santa Claus give their gifts to those they love.

On this day, the atmosphere across the globe is merry with laughter, colours, lights and gifts.
However, millions of people still live deprived of all these, even during Christmas celebrations.

Did you know?
According to the World Bank, about half of the world’s total number of extremely underprivileged individuals live in just five countries in Africa and Asia. And according to the 2022 Global Hunger Index, India suffers a level of hunger that is serious!

But your contribution can change that!

This Christmas, support NGOs that work for the underprivileged so that they also enjoy delightful meals and happy times. Your donation to The Akshaya Patra Foundation, a globally recognised 22-year-old NGO, can serve unlimited breakfast and lunch to socio-economically deprived children on this special day. It will help them attend school regularly and strive for better lifestyles without distractions.

Add goodwill to your Christmas celebrations with Akshaya Patra

We at Akshaya Patra, started in 2000 by nourishing 1,500 children in five Government schools of Karnataka as a part of the Government initiative – the Mid day Meal Programme (MDM), now called the PM Poshan Abhiyaan.

Today, we provide ‘unlimited food for education’ of 2 million children every day from 65 kitchens across 14 states and 2 union territories in India.

Additionally, support from various Governments and millions of donors globally, helped us launch programmes for pregnant women and nursing mothers hailing from marginalised communities.

We also began serving meals to homeless mothers who struggle to survive without families, homes and a stable mode of income. Through this initiative, we hope to take care of their basic need for nourishment and they can utilise their potential to work and rise against the odds.

We helped disaster victims during emergencies including the COVID-19 pandemic, floods, droughts and rainstorms.

But our NGO refuses to pause until we achieve our mission—to feed 3 million underprivileged school children every day by 2025.

Below are some of our initiatives we started in the year 2022 to achieve the same:

Breakfast Feeding Programme: Breakfast provides adequate nutrition to children, helping them attend school regularly with higher concentration and interest. They perform better in both scholastic and non-scholastic tasks while cultivating good behaviour as they grow. Without breakfast, children struggle with low memory recall and carry higher chances of making errors.

A study in Karnataka proved that at least 199 of 5,158 children get only one meal a day. Mid day meal (MDM) is the first meal for around 2.1 lakh children — not breakfast. Thus, we at Akshaya Patra began serving breakfast in addition to lunch, in Government and Government-aided schools.

Millets in mid day meals (MDM): Millets are five times more nourishing than rice and wheat. They digest well, strengthen the nervous system, nourish the muscular system, protect against lifestyle diseases and cancer risks, reduce cholesterol, and improve energy levels.

Furthermore, they can be cultivated in less fertile soils with small inputs of fertilisers and pesticides, contributing to sustainable food-growing measures in India.

Consequently, we signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Nutrihub, the Indian Institute of Millets Research (IIMR) and the Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR) in August. Through this initiative, we aim to improve the nutritional content of school meals for Government school children across the country.

Support Akshaya Patra this Christmas. Donate for children.

Jesus Christ’s life was all about loving his devotees selflessly. So why not start your Christmas celebrations with the noble act of giving?

Share the blessings of health and wealth you received, with those in need. Make your lives pious this Christmas by donating towards the basic needs of food and education of underprivileged children.

DONATE TO AKSHAYA PATRA TODAY!

Karnataka observes its foundation day called Kannada Rajyostva on 1 November annually. It is celebrated by Kannadigas across the world. Read on to know about its significance.

Kannada Rajyostva dates back to 1 November 1956, when all the Kannada language-speaking regions in South India united to form the state of Karnataka. Ever since, the day has been observed as a Government holiday in Karnataka annually.

Also known as the Karnataka Foundation Day, this day is celebrated by Kannadigas across the world. In Karnataka, people hoist the vibrant red and yellow state flag and sing the Kannada anthem—Jaya Bharatha Jananiya Tanujate, followed by song and dance performances in offices and schools.

Winners of the Rajyotsava Awards are also announced and felicitated by the Government of Karnataka on this day. The award is the second-highest civilian honour in Karnataka after Karnataka Ratna to recognise contributions in the fields of arts, culture, literature, science, education, sports, industry, public affairs and social service.

The History of Kannada Rajyotsava
Karnataka’s official name originated from ‘Karu Nadu’, meaning elevated land. It holds immense significance with a renowned Indian historian and writer, Aluru Venkata Rao, who was the first person to dream of unifying all Kannada-speaking regions into a state with the Karnataka Ekikarana movement.

After India became a republic, this movement concluded in Mysore becoming one of the states of South India. After six years, on 1 November 1956, Mysore was merged with the surrounding Kannada-speaking regions of Bombay and Madras presidencies along with those in the principality of Hyderabad to create a unified entity.

However, the people of North Karnataka were against retaining the name ‘Mysore’ for the new state. Thus, it was renamed to ‘Karnataka’ on 1 November 1973.

The legacy of Karnataka
Karnataka is one of the most important cultural centres with a rich history of both Hindustani and Carnatic music. The state’s northern regions have been home to musical maestros like Pandit Bhimsen Joshi and Sawai Gandharva.
It also has eight Jnanapith Award winners in the category of literature, second only to ten awardees for Hindi literature.

Kuppali Venkatappa Puttappa, popularly known by his pen name Kuvempu, was the first Kannada writer to receive the Jnanpith Award. He was an Indian poet, playwright, novelist and critic who is revered as the greatest Kannada poet of the 20th century.

NGO activity in Karnataka
Karnataka is also the birthplace of an esteemed 21-year-old NGO called The Akshaya Patra Foundation, which has devoted itself to making the most basic need of nutritious food available to millions of underprivileged people of India.
It started as an NGO in Bangalore that fed mid-day meals to 1,500 children in five Government schools of Karnataka. Today, its state-of-the-art kitchens are present in 65 locations, fueling a range of programmes for several marginalised communities across India.

Nourishing meals from this charity in Karnataka now reach 14 states and 2 union territories every day. As for its fundamental motive of providing meals for education under PM Poshan Abhiyaan, it currently nourishes 2 million children from low socioeconomic backgrounds daily.

In Karnataka, it feeds 3,51,381 children in 3,188 Government schools.

Meet one of the talented mid-day meal beneficiaries in Karnataka
Chetan B Malladad is a student of HPKGS school in Hubballi. He has three siblings. His mother is a mid-day meal worker and his father is an employee at a local hospital. Little Chetan is a mid-day meal beneficiary and loves the food he eats at school. He says he is not just grateful for the food but also for employing his mother.

Here’s what Chetan says:

Final thoughts
The PM Poshan Abhiyaan beneficiaries in Karnataka and the rest of India will surely be the next batch of its achievers, including artists, writers, scientists, sportspeople, industrialists, social workers and more. The only ask is to nurture them with quality food, play and education.

And, your contribution matters!

Support to nourish and educate ambitious children like Chetan every day! Donate to NGOs like Akshaya Patra for the glorious future of Karnataka and India.