Inspiring us, every day

We’re feeding 1.3 million children every day, and have our eye set on feeding 5 million by 2020. There may be a long way to go, but we at The Akshaya Patra Organisation believe that every drop in the ocean counts. These are some of the inspiring stories we have come across that gives us the strength to carry on.

 

From Karnataka, Maruthi C.R harbours the dream to be a teacher one day. “Through the hardships I have undergone as a child, I realize the importance of food for education. The Akshaya Patra programme has helped me gain the confidence that I too can make it,” he says.

  

Sohail from Rajasthan is hearing and speech impaired. However, his teachers are extremely proud of him saying, “He grasps everything in class by just looking at it. Moreover, the assured meals at school have made him a healthier and brighter child.”

In Uttar Pradesh, Machala is a very lively young girl and though she has under developed mental growth, she does not believe that she is different from her class mates in any way. She and her sister were sent to school for the Akshaya Patra mid-day meal, which has also influenced her relationships positively at school.

 

Nikina Pradhan from Odisha is tireless in her pursuit of her passions. A class topper, also gifted in music, painting, and her true love, dance, Nikina hopes to fulfil her dreams of attaining a Master’s degree in Arts and Literature. According to her, school gives her an opportunity to follow her own path.

 

Bharwad Gopal Hamili Bhai from Gujarat dreams of growing up to become a police officer someday.  His mother Jeeku Behn says, “Akshaya Patra has made our life easier by providing freshly cooked nutritious meals to my four children. We cannot afford such a meal every day.”

In Andhra Pradesh, Bhanuprasad is the topper of his class and gifted painter. He is the leader of the National Green Corps (NGC), a group formed by his school to create awareness on the nutritional value of the mid-day meal. “My mother feels very happy since I get to eat healthy food for lunch and that she need not worry about packing food for me,” he says, speaking of the Akshaya Patra mid-day meal programme.

 

Sixteen year old Saraswati comes from Chhattisgarh. Her mother and grandmother work as domestic aides to supplement their irregular income. Though Saraswati does the same, she hasn’t given up on her dreams of joining the Indian police services. Determined to study till the twelfth grade at least, Saraswati loves going to school and keenly awaits the Akshaya Patra mid-day meal.

Durga Prasad from Assam started school two years ago, lured by the mid-day meal. When he first joined the school he suffered from anorexia and malnourishment. Today his health has improved radically, because of the mid-day meal, and even packs some to take home to his family.

These are real stories, of real children whose lives have been changed by a simple meal. Being witness to their hopes and dreams has made every step of this journey worthwhile for us at The Akshaya Patra Foundation, and we can’t wait to take it even further.