5 Ways to Get Involved with Akshaya Patra

Surya is born into a family whose monthly income is not more Rs 3,000. While his father toils to feed the family every day, he knows that someday, Surya would have to attend school to be more self-reliant. At the age of five, he is admitted to the closest government school. His father is motivated to send Surya to school for various reasons—free education, an opportunity to socialise and most importantly, a wholesome and nutritious mid-day meal served every day!

The Akshaya Patra Foundation, an NGO in India, strives to feed the hungry children everyday by implementing mid-day meal programme in schools across the country. Currently, the Foundation is feeding over 1.5 million government school children in 10 states of India. You can get involved too and experience the journey of eliminating hunger among school children.

Here are five ways to get involved with this children’s NGO that runs the world’s largest school lunch programme:

1. Connect with the purpose: Akshaya Patra, an NGO for children, aims to end classroom hunger by feeding nutritious meals to school children on every school day. In the year 2000, the organisation was founded on the belief that no child should be deprived of education due to hunger and that has been the roadmap of this Foundation’s journey. When you empathise with the cause, you are a step closer to making India a hunger-free country for children.

2. It only costs Rs 750: A young student in a government school gets free lunch for an entire year and that is possible through your small but significant contribution. It costs only Rs 750 to feed a child for a year to ensure that his/ her education is not interrupted. You can donate to charity and also benefit from 100% tax exemption on the donation. Small amounts, when accumulated, greatly enrich children’s lives.

3. Create your own fundraising campaign: While there are many donation options, you also have a choice of creating a personalised online fundraising campaign on the Foundation’s website or on Akshaya Patra's mobile app. Once a campaign is created, you can share it with your friends and together, reach out to more children.

4. Download Akshaya Patra mobile app: The organisation moves along with technology. Its all-new app helps you extend your support while you are on the go—you can create campaigns, donate and stay updated at the tip of your fingers!  The app allows you to search kitchen locations pan India and exhibits the total number of beneficiaries and schools each location is catering to. The mobile app is available on both Android and iOS.

5. Be a volunteer: Giving your time and effort towards a cause can help the society in many ways. When you volunteer with Akshaya Patra, you are not just connected to the cause but you are also exposed to mid-day meal programme and the overall operations of the organisation.

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How Akshaya Patra Feeds Over 1.5 Million Children Every Day?

Akshaya Patra started in 2001 by serving meals to around 1,500 children of five government schools in Bengaluru. The underlying thought was that children should not be deprived of education because of hunger. In 2004, when the Government of India launched its ambitious Mid-day Meal Scheme, Akshaya Patra’s expertise in the field came as an advantage. It helped the Foundation get into a public-private partnership with the Government for the implementation of this scheme.

Over the course of 15 years, Akshaya Patra has established its kitchens in 24 locations and feeds over 1.5 million children of 11,360 schools across ten states. The role of NGO is to provide hygienic food to lakhs of children across the country. The journey from 1,500 children in Bengaluru to over 1.5 million children across the country would not have been possible if it was not for (i) technology and (ii) successful partnership with governments and other stakeholders.

Role of Technology

Necessity, they say, is the mother of invention. When the time came to scale up, Akshaya Patra had to resort to technology. Until then, the process mainly revolved around manual cooking. If the Foundation was to serve 100,000 meals daily, it had to improvise existing technology … and improvise it did. Over the course of time, kitchens were designed and established across the country; most of which have the capacity to cook meals for around 100,000 children at a time.

Akshaya Patra kitchens have custom-made machines to ensure that the cooking process is a smooth sail. Also, seven of these kitchens employ the time-saving gravity-flow mechanism; namely Lucknow, Vrindavan, Bhubaneshwar, Ahmedabad, Hubballi, Ballari, and Vasanthapura. The Hubballi kitchen has been featured in Nat Geo’s Mega Kitchen series.

These kitchens are equipped with rice cauldrons, which can prepare 500 litres rice at a time, and sambhar cauldron, which can prepare 1,200 – 3,000 litres of dal at a time. Around 6,000 kg of rice, 4 – 5 tonnes of vegetables, and 6,000 litres of sambhar is prepared in just under four hours. Similarly, the roti-making machine used in kitchens in North India can dish out 40,000 rotis in an hour. The use of cauldrons with easy-tilt mechanism makes it easier to dispense food.

Of the 24 locations across the country, Baran (Rajasthan) and Nayagarh (Orissa) employ the decentralised kitchen model, as the terrain of these places make transportation of food a tough task. So what Akshaya Patra has done, is employed local women’s self-help groups (SHGs) to cook the meals. The entire process is monitored by a team appointed by Akshaya Patra to ensure hygiene and efficiency. These two units help Akshaya Patra reach out to over 36,000 children every day.

Akshaya Patra uses custom-designed insulated vehicles to deliver food from kitchens to school. So firstly, there is no spillage during transportation, and secondly, children are served fresh, hot meal every day.

Successful Partnerships

Akshaya Patra is the largest NGO in India serving mid-day meals. It has got into a partnership with the Central Government as well as the State Governments of Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, and Assam for the implementation of the Mid-day Meal Programme. The Government is the biggest donor for the organisation; may it be grants or grains.

Additionally, the Foundation works closely with various corporate houses and trusts and foundations to make the mammoth task possible. The Infosys Foundation and Jamsetji Tata Trust have helped Akshaya Patra to equip its kitchens with latest technology among other things. Similarly, Cisco has partnered with Akshaya Patra for its Global Hunger Relief campaign as a part of which the company raises funds for the Mid-day Meal Programme.

The list of partners is lengthy and includes names like the Caterpillar Foundation, The Hans Foundation, Kusuma Foundation, Give India, etc.

The Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) provision in the Companies Act 2013, which makes it mandatory for corporates to spend at least 2% of average net profits for the last three years on CSR activities, has prompted many companies to come forward to help the society. Akshaya Patra is one of the several NGOs in India that have benefited from the same.

If feeding 1.5 million children is mammoth task, feeding 5 million children is an even bigger challenge, and that’s what The Akshaya Patra Foundation is aiming for. In doing so, we intend to reach out to new locations as well. In order to achieve this, we need your help. We accept tax deductible donations under Section 35 AC or Section 80 GGA, in which case the assesse is eligible for 100% deduction. Your contribution can help us reach out to more children … nourish more dreams and smiles.

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Akshaya Patra wins four PRCI Collateral Awards

When the Public Relations Council of India (PRCI) announced the Collateral Awards 2016 on 23 January, The Akshaya Patra Foundation, a NGO in India won four out of the five nominations.

The Collateral Awards are distributed every year to honour organisations, institutions and professionals in the field of communications like Media, Advertising, Corporate Communications and Public Relations.

The Annual Report 2014-15 of Akshaya Patra titled, ‘Giving Every Dream A Chance,’ which narrates the dream stories of three young beneficiaries of the organisation and highlights the importance of a healthy food and education in ‘The Making of a Dream,’ won a Platinum Award.  Apart from this, the organisation also won Silver in the Table Top Calendar Category, Bronze in both the documentary category and the Digital Newsletter Category.

Winning Platinum is not new to Akshaya Patra. The organisation’s 2013-14 Annual Report, which narrated power of nutrition and education through the stories of five superhero kids had won Platinum Award last year.

Read more at Four PRCI Collateral Awards for Akshaya Patra

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Bollywood Star Ranveer Singh campaigns for Akshaya Patra!

Since inception in June 2000, Akshaya Patra has seen involvement of people from all walks of life towards the noble cause of feeding children. Akshaya Patra always provides a platform for existing supporters as well as invites new supporters to get involved in nation building through feeding the young hearts. Over the years of implementing the mid-day meal programme, Akshaya Patra has witnessed that each meal has its own story and each beneficiary has his or her own special dream. Thus the Foundation has always thrived to provide quality, hygienic and tasty mid-day meal each day to each of the beneficiaries.

Currently, Akshaya Patra is operational in 24 locations of 10 states. Each day, Akshaya Patra feeds mid-day meal to more than 1.4 million children across Government schools. It aims to feed 5 million children by 2020. The task indeed is humongous but not unattainable. Working towards the mission, Akshaya Patra welcomes participation from each member of the country. The participation could be in the form of skill, time, funds, awareness creation or even volunteering. The recent partnership with Ching’s Secret is an exemplary one as it has brought in Ranveer Singh, the Brand Ambassador of Ching’s Secret and popular Bollywood Star to campaign for Akshaya Patra.

Ranveer has been actively involved in the planning and execution of the campaign called 'India Ke Hunger Ki Bajao'. The campaign aims to feed at least 1 million children across the country. Ranveer’s sincere support towards the children was witnessed as he offered his support to 10,000 children and sponsored their mid-day meals for an entire year at the launch of the campaign. Along with Akshaya Patra beneficiaries as Ranveer appeals in this video it just takes 10 seconds and a minimum amount of Rs. 750 to feed a child for an entire year. This amount has the potential to nourish and change the life of millions of young citizens. The campaign will receive broadcast in television, radio and digital platforms. It is also being supported by well-known brands like Yash Raj Films, India TV, Red FM, Reliance Fresh, Patel Bros., Paytm, Choitrams and Fluence.

Managing Director of Capital Foods (Ching's Secret's parent company), Ajay Gupta opines that it’s time to give back to the society and education of children will definitely lead to a better future of the country. Ranveer Singh too adds that he loves kids and being able to be involved with the cause of Akshaya Patra gives him immense joy. He believes that being the role of Indian youth, he will be able to spread the message and bring in maximum participation for the cause.

Follow us: @AkshayaPatra on Twitter | TheAkshayapatraFoundation on Facebook |

@AkshayaPatraFoundation on Rediff |  https://www.youtube.com/user/akshayapatra

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Akshaya Patra supports women every day

International Women’s Day was just celebrated on the 8th of March. The Akshaya Patra Foundation aside from providing the mid-day meal programme to Government school children also works for other social causes in different ways. One cause that is very close to Akshaya Patra is equality of women and men.

Akshaya Patra works to provide equal opportunity regardless of gender in a few ways. Through the mid-day meal programme Akshaya Patra feeds every child attending school, irrespective of gender. Very often only boys in low income families are encouraged to study, while the girls have to sacrifice their dreams. However with the mid-day meal parents are only too happy to send their daughters to school too since it reduces the burden to feed them. This way Akshaya Patra provides both food and education to both boys and girls.

Akshaya Patra also supports women through employment. With kitchens in 23 locations across the country which employ women in different capacities, Akshaya Patra provides women with economic independence as well as self-esteem and local standing. Two of Akshaya Patra’s kitchens are also decentralised which are primarily run by women self-help groups.

Akshaya Patra also provides additional support by serving the mid-day meal at local Anganwadis to pregnant women, lactating mothers and infants. This way Akshaya Patra ensures that they meet their nutritional requirements in this delicate period of their lives.

Support the programme and make sure more girls are fed and educated every day. Donate here.

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The Akshaya Patra Foundation Indian NGO Ranked 23rd among Top 100 NGOs

In the Annual Ranking of NGOs by The Global Journal, the Indian NGO- The Akshaya Patra Foundation has been ranked 23rd among the Top 100 NGOs in the world. The Global Journal considered a pool of approximately 450 NGOs from across the world working for various causes. There were three key criteria based on which the ranking was done. They are: impact, innovation and sustainability.

A unique content media platform- The Global Journal provides in-depth coverage of global governance issues. In this ranking Akshaya Patra shares apace with many other reputed NGOs in India and abroad like BRAC, MSF, Path and the like.  This ranking has further boosted the level of motivation and confidence of the Foundation to work towards the children in India. The Foundation provides mid-day meal to Indian children studying in Government schools and Government-aided schools. Children in India who are in need of support is benefitting doubly out of this mid-day meal. First, these children are receiving one wholesome and nutritious meal everyday.  Second, they are able to continue their education and also concentrate better in their academics.

Studies show that there are millions of children in India who need to earn for their own meal at a tender age. Due to this, these children are unable to go to school for formal education. At this situation mid-day meal acts a breather for these children and their parents too. Mid-Day Meal Scheme is a Government initiative and under the aegis of the Government many NGOs in India implement the same in different areas. Akshaya Patra is one such NGO in India.

Headquartered in Bangalore- India, The Akshaya Patra Foundation has been implementing the mid-day meal programme since 2000. 12 years of tireless efforts has increased the Foundation’s reach to 9 states of India. Currently it is operating the programme in 19 locations and providing food to 1.3 million children in India. It has had a major impact in increasing school enrolment, sustaining attendance and bettering performance of the children. It employs some of the most innovative technologies in it’s kitchens for improved efficiency while preparing the meals. It aims at reaching out to 5 million children in India by 2020.

You too can be a part of this mission of the 23rd ranked Indian NGO. Join The Akshaya Patra Foundation today. 

Now you can follow us @AkshayaPatra  and Akshaya Patra Facebook

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Celebrating International Girl Child Day on Today, Oct 11,2012 - Akshaya Patra Foundation

 

Celebrating International Girl Child Day , Today, Oct 11,2012.

Safa Farooq  is a grade 2 student at the Government Higher Primary School in Bengre Kasba located in the city of Mangalore. She eagerly waits for the mid day meal served at the school every day.

Her mother shares “Considering the family’s economic condition the mid day meal is a blessing for Safa. The child often talks about the variety in the menu. By her explanations, we know that she likes the Payasam and the Pulao the most. Not even once has she complained about the food.”

Safa is too young to understand the family’s economic condition or the impact of the mid day meal on her health. But the smiles, healthy features, and her enthusiasm to attend school, are what stands as a testimony to the success of mid day meals by Akshaya Patra.

Read More Mid day Meal Programme Addressing the Twin Problem of Hunger and Education

Akshaya Patra Twitter and Akshaya Patra Facebook

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Value Add to the Mid Day Meal - Biscuit Micronutrients Bakery Unit at Akshaya Patra Jaipur Kitchen

 

September 25, 2012 was a big day for the Akshaya Patra's Jaipur Kitchen. The day saw the launch of the country's first ever bakery machine for mid day meal programme. 

Addressing the gathering at the launch , chief guest Mr. Pratap Singh Khachriyavas, MLA, announced a donation of Rs. 10 lakhs for Akshaya Patra. He said that the money was donated from his MLA fund which can be utilised for any of the kitchen's activities. 

He also congratulated Akshaya Patra for launching ‘Akshaya Thali’ schemefor the benefit of the school children. Speaking on the occasion, Shri Ratnangadha Govind Dasa, Unit President – Jaipur, said that local students can now savour nutritious biscuits as part of their mid day meal. 

 The machine is capable of producing 30,000 biscuits a day.The machine has been launched to add taste and variety in the mid day meal menu.

Now you can follow us on Akshaya Patra Twitter and Akshaya Patra Facebook

Source: Akshaya Patra Blog

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Akshaya Patra Centralized Kitchen in Hubli for Mid Day Meal

A centralized model is one where all the cooking activities of a particular location are concentrated within one large kitchen.

Each centralized kitchen has the capacity to cook between 50 000 to 150 000 meals daily thus achieving economies of scale. Cooking takes place in mechanized, steam heated cauldrons custom built to reduce the cook to consume time.

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Back2 Schools – Support Akshaya Patra Fondation

Schools are going to reopen – Support Akshaya Patra

Akshaya Patra: Unlimited food for children education. Rs 675 donation can feed a child for an entire year!

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Worlds Hunger Day 2012, May 28 at Akshaya Patra

In India, hunger plays a major role in the downfall of the economy, ranking shamefully in 67^th place in Global Hunger Index! More than 231 million people in India are undernourished which is the highest than every other country in the world and 42% of India’s children are underweight clearing indication India’s “Chronic Hunger” situation.

Let us join hands with The Akshaya Patra Foundation to eradicate hunger. Let us support us on this noble cause to eventuate a “Hunger Free World”.  Sponsor Food for Children for this World hunger day 2012.  

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Akshaya Patra Centralized Kitchen in Hubli for Mid Day Meal

A centralized model is one where all the cooking activities of a particular location are concentrated within one large kitchen.

Each centralized kitchen has the capacity to cook between 50 000 to 150 000 meals daily thus achieving economies of scale. Cooking takes place in mechanized, steam heated cauldrons custom built to reduce the cook to consume time.

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Akshaya Patra Centralized Kitchen in Mangalore for Mid Day Meal

A centralized model is one where all the cooking activities of a particular location are concentrated within one large kitchen.

Each centralized kitchen has the capacity to cook between 50 000 to 150 000 meals daily thus achieving economies of scale. Cooking takes place in mechanized, steam heated cauldrons custom built to reduce the cook to consume time.

Mechanization has also helped us meet the highest standards of hygiene by minimizing human handling of food. Freshly cooked food is packed in stainless steel containers and transported to various schools in custom built vehicles (about 10 to 15 schools per vehicle). Security personnel escort each vehicle to ensure safe delivery of meals. There are two types of menus prepared throughout the country: North Indian and South Indian.

For more information visit: http://akshayapatra.org/centralized-kitchens

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