This is the potential of India to beat the odds. The current pace of its evolution does not talk about its efforts to catch up with the world but to make the world strive to be at par with it.

As India grows, so do the aspirations of its people from all the backgrounds. Inspiring stories of Indian achievers around the globe are motivating our youth every day which is now taking huge leaps towards innovation and success.

Gone are the days when the aim was only to be employed. Today, India’s children dream of becoming entrepreneurs, visionaries and world leaders.

And children from low-income families REFUSE to lag behind!
Thanks to the daily mid-day meals and the support provided by various NGOs in India, children have transformed into unstoppable shooting stars who are on their way to realising their dreams.

For instance, Krish, an Akshaya Patra beneficiary, won the science fair at his school for his idea of natural composting despite his financial troubles. He says he will not stop looking for other ways to support mother Earth; bio-enzymes are his next aim.

To keep up with the efforts of these genius minds to dream and achieve, we at Akshaya Patra, are also levelling up to nourish more children at full-speed.

And that is why in a short, our NGO in India established four new kitchens with the support of our well-wishers to feed and power up the creative ambitions of the nation’s upcoming visionaries.

63rd Kitchen in Dehradun, Uttarakhand
After a successful launch of our 62nd Akshaya Patra kitchen in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh on 7 July 2022, we inaugurated our next facility in Dehradun, Uttarakhand on 15 July 2022.

The Honourable Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, Pushkar Singh Dhami inaugurated this centralized kitchen supported by the Hans Foundation and the Education Department at Suddhowala, Dehradun. Thanking the NGO for its service and the Hans Foundation for their support, the Chief Minister then flagged off one of our vehicles carrying fresh food for thousands of children.

The Dehradun kitchen is the second facility in the state with the capacity to feed 35,000 fresh and nutritious meals per cooking cycle. It will serve fulfilling meals to students in 500 schools under the PM Poshan Abhiyaan.

64th Kitchen in Mansa, Gujarat
With consistent support from our donors, we launched a centralized kitchen in Mansa, Gujarat, on 23 July 2022. The 64th kitchen’s construction was funded by IndusInd Bank and inaugurated by the Honourable Union Home Minister, Shri Amitbhai Shah.

The state-of-the-art kitchen is the eighth facility in the state with the capacity to feed 26,000 children in 190 government schools.

65th Kitchen in Jorhat, Assam
Keeping up the momentum, we launched the 65th Akshaya Patra kitchen on 29 July 2022, sponsored by Credit Suisse, A.T.E. Chandra Foundation and Apraava Energy in Jorhat, Assam. It was inaugurated by the Honourable Chief Minister of Assam, Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma.

We already serve over 40,000 children in Guwahati. This is the second kitchen in Assam that can impact the lives of over 30,000 additional children through the PM Poshan Abhiyaan.

The Jorhat kitchen will follow world-class manufacturing practices and food quality standards to ensure children receive all the nutrients they need. It will also serve food according to the local palate of the children, including rice, varieties of dal, and vegetable preparations, such as aloo matar tomato sabji, kabuli chana sabji, louki with chana dal sabji, veg pulao, khichdi and kheer in a cyclic manner.

Moreover, the 65th kitchen will also provide employment opportunities to the locals, comprising women and men from various backgrounds and communities — a common feature of all our kitchens.

Final Thoughts
Our work started with a small window and is now 65 kitchens strong. Today, our kitchens are known for their advanced infrastructure, which has become a subject of study across the world. From feeding just 1,500 children, we have come a long way due to our noble pursuit.

So, let’s have faith in the dreams of our children and believe in a future full of opportunities for people from all walks of life. Make an online donation today to feed a million children every day for an entire academic year and contribute to building India’s sustainable future.

A new mother or a nursing mother requires support in her daily life if she has to go out, do some activity and contribute to the household’s finances. Anganwadi centres play a crucial role in reducing stress and fatigue of the mother by contributing to their most important responsibilities of nurturing small children.

Anganwadi Programme – a part of Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS)
• Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) (which includes The Anganwadi programme) was launched on 2 October 1975 and is a national programme that addresses the needs of children below the age of six years.
• Anganwadi centres provide an integrated package of services including supplementary nutrition, basic healthcare and pre-school education.
• Since the health and nutritional needs of a child alone cannot be addressed in isolation from the mother, the programme also extends to pregnant and lactating mothers.

Importance of Anganwadi programme in India
Nutritional levels during the early stages of life directly impact the overall health and growth of children to support the important milestones of life. This programme also educates mothers about the importance of nutrition and health, enabling them to provide better care for their children.

• Accessibility and affordability to healthcare
To the rural population of India, getting the right healthcare facilities is a challenge. Most people are not even aware of the programme they can benefit from.

• Establishes social connections with community
These centres give the women a sense of involvement in the community. It gives them the opportunity to participate in things that they would not have been able to otherwise. In short, it gives them social time – to catch up with neighbours, attend functions or weddings and also helps them socialise with other women in the Anganwadi centres.

• Eradicates malnourishment
Every child needs nutrition for healthy development. These essentials help them grow physically and mentally. When a child is well nourished right at a very young age, s/he is more likely to develop into a healthy adult.

• Gives access to Government programmes
Anganwadi workers become the main source of access to the Government’s scheme for rural people. With their help, mothers or parents become aware of the key health services and benefits.

In short, mothers feel less stressed that their child is well-taken care of. Many NGOs in India support the Government of India to run these Anganwadi centres. Most mothers do not have enough time to spare for their children. Plus, their husbands also work and do not have enough time for them. These centres allow them to have some free time for themselves.

Some of these centres are run with the generosity of donors who donate to feed the children coming from difficult backgrounds.

Akshaya Patra’s Anganwadi Feeding Programme
Having been a provider of mid-day meals to children, Akshaya Patra is well-aware of the significance of adequate nutrition in the growth and development of children. Hence, by initiating the Anganwadi Programme, the NGO in India aimed to feed the children and women in Anganwadi centres with nutritious meals daily.

Donate to NGOs that nourish children right from the early ages of childhood.

To ensure the beneficiaries receive the required quantity of nutrients every day, Akshaya Patra follows a cyclic and locally palatable Anganwadi food menu. This results in the inclusion of a variety of nutritious food items, taste while preventing monotony.

These meals that you donate to NGOs like Akshaya Patra:
• Provides required nutrition
• Supports age-appropriate growth
• Boosts immunity in the log-run
• Addresses health-related concerns
• Reduces mortality and morbidity rates in children.

Anganwadi Feeding Programme is a crucial intervention to ensure that every child receives a healthy start. Support women and little children for 300 days in a year, in the stages that require all nutritional needs for a better life with your contribution of Rs.1900. Donate to Akshaya Patra today to feed a mother and her child.