Dreams keep you moving forward and the gap between dreaming and making those dreams come true might not always be insurmountable, especially if you have support and know how to get there.

The Akshaya Patra Foundation is one such organisation that works relentlessly to end classroom hunger among underprivileged children and support them to fulfil their dreams. The NGO’s goal is to establish relationships between donors and recipients in order to share joy and grant the unfulfilled desires of children from marginalised communities through food and education.

With feeding lunch to only 1,500 children in 2000, today the NGO upholds a network of world-class kitchens that serve hot mid-day meals (MDM) to 2 million children at more than 22,367 schools in 14 Indian states and 2 union territories.

The Mid-Day Meal Programme (MDM Programme) – currently known as PM Poshan Abhiyaan, a programme to ensure that every child in every government school receives a nourishing meal every school day, is the core service under which Akshaya Patra conducts its operations.

Akshaya Patra’s goal goes beyond simply feeding underprivileged children. It has to do with societal advancement. In addition to encouraging children to attend school, the Foundation works to give them a diversified and nutrient-rich food to improve their nutritional and health status, thus encouraging them to work towards their aspirations.

By 2025, Akshaya Patra strives to serve three million kids every day. The organisation will work to improve its programmes with solutions concentrating on children’s food and nutritional security to put into practise creative ideas as an addition to welfare programmes to improve their health and well-being.

The National Endeavor for Student Transformation (NEST), a set of programmes that focus on children’s holistic development and go beyond meals, has already been introduced. Among them are the school revitalisation programme, which works to create a supportive environment for children through a variety of academic and infrastructure interventions, the Digital Education Programme to provide students with access to digital devices and world-class digital learning platform with professionally curated content and the AVSAR scholarship program, which awards financial aid to deserving students.

Our Beneficiaries

Chandrashekhar comes from a very humble background. He has five siblings and his parents are street-side vendors. He is a mid-day meal beneficiary and enjoys the food served at school. He says he is grateful that the hot meals give him the energy to study well and take part in co-curricular activities.

Currently, millions of children struggle for one square meal a day; for them education is a distant dream. These young lives wait for generosity to help them pursue an education which is their only stepping stone towards their dreams. The school meals do nothing short of a miracle in such a situation. These meals encourage families from difficult socioeconomic circumstances to take their children to school. By supporting Akshaya Patra, you can help over 2 million+ children with nutritious food and education each school day.

Support Akshaya Patra’s Government school students and empower their dreams. Donate for children!

Diwali is the biggest festival celebrated by Indians across the globe. It is considered as a high point of India’s festive season. The hallmarks of this season are themes of good versus evil, admiration of Indian culture, and—most importantly—the experience of giving to friends and family.

On the occasion of Diwali, it is a long-standing tradition in India to give and receive gifts from one another. Diwali brings abundance, love and respect, and hence, the giving and receiving of gifts during Diwali symbolises camaraderie and community among individuals.

It’s that wonderful time of year again, when people enjoy wonderful time with friends and family. However, the truth is that for many of Indian children who struggle and face lack of access to healthcare and education, Diwali is just another day. These youngsters reside on the periphery of society. The COVID-19 pandemic has only made things worse for these kids, making them worse than vulnerable in the current predicament.

These children depend on us for support. And what better time to extend a helping hand to them than this festive season. This Diwali, your contribution to PM Poshan Abhiyan (previously known as the Mid-Day Meal Programme) will enable us to reach more disadvantaged and vulnerable children in India and include them in our programmes focusing on resilience development, education, nutrition, protection, and healthcare. It can gift a smile and inspire children to hope for a brighter year and provide some respite to their current circumstances.

So this Diwali, let kindness rule the hearts. Feed the hungry and come forward to make a donation to Akshaya Patra – one of the leading NGOs in India that supports food and education of children, runs various programmes, the core of which is the Mid-Day Meal Programme (MDM) or the PM Poshan Abhiyaan.

PM Poshan Abhiyaan (previously known as Mid-Day Meal Programme)

The Akshaya Patra Foundation serves hot and nutritious lunch to 2 million Government school children every school day through the PM Poshan Abhiyaan (previously known as Mid-Day Meal Programme), across 14 States and 2 Union Territories in India. These meals are prepared and distributed from 65 locations across the country.

For over 21 years, the Foundation has battled to alleviate hunger in the classroom, encouraging marginalised children to get an education and aspire for a brighter future. When you donate to feed the children, the meals act as an incentive for these children to attend school every day, thus increasing attendance and enrolment. The meals also encourage them to continue their education.

The Joy of Hot Meals

She missed the joy of being carefree around friends and teachers at school and also the nutritious midday meal. Now that schools have reopened, Aishwarya can’t stop smiling as she’s back with her friends, teachers and has lots of fun. She says: “I used to miss my friends during the lunch hour but now we can enjoy our midday meal together. I love the days when they serve sambar rice for lunch.”

When Determination and Nutrition Come Together

Given his family’s financial position, Nasir thanks The Akshaya Patra Foundation for providing mid-day meals to him from Class 5 to Class 10. Nasir was inspired by his school staff and Akshaya Patra to pursue his aspirations after completing his 10th Boards. He received a scholarship from the Foundation’s AVSAR Scholarship Program to pursue his dream of becoming a CA. He recently passed his examinations and is now a certified CA. He expresses gratitude to his parents, teachers, Akshaya Patra and friends for believing in him. He wishes to work in the manufacturing or fast-moving consumer goods industries, with the goal of eventually starting his own firm.

Celebrate Diwali differently this year by going above and beyond for the less fortunate. Make a contribution to enable them to smile and make their lives happier. The satisfaction of enhancing young people’s lives is always unmatched!

Gift a Smile this Diwali. Share the joy of this festive occasion!