10 Things to Know About Akshaya Patra Mid-day Meals

Education leads to the all round development in the life of a child. It is a necessary requirement in the progress of a nation. In the government schools, though education is provided freely most of the children tend to be drop outs due to inherent socio-economic factors.  Most of the parents would not be in a condition to send their children to schools with a proper lunch and hence children would have to starve during the lunch time. Without proper food a child will not have the energy to concentrate in the class and gradually they will lose interest in studies. They have to accompany their parents to work for a meagre income to buy a meal at least a day.

The Government of India started the mid-day meal programme keeping in mind the children hailing from low income families in government schools. To reach out the benefit to more and more children the State Governments partners with NGOs like Akshaya Patra to implement the Mid-Day Meal Programme. The programme supplies free mid-day meals on school days for children in government and government aided schools supported under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, and National Child Labour Project schools run by the ministry of labour.

Advantages of Akshaya Patra mid-day meal 

• It is the worlds largest meal programme serving 1.5 million children everyday, across 24 locations in India.
• The not-for-profit organization started the initiative in 2000 with just 1,500 children.
• Addresses two of the most burning challenges in India – hunger and education. 
• Boosts universalisation of primary education which provides free educational opportunities to all children of the society until they complete the age of fourteen years
• Leads to an increase in enrolment in schools as parents are ready to send their children to schools. In the same way students are ready to come to schools.
• Leads to decrease drop outs rates in schools as the children need not go in search of a square meal. 
• Serves as nutritional support to students which suffice the health of children.
• A successful public-private partnership in collaboration with The Central Governments and various State Governments, corporate houses and individual donors.
• Serves nutritious meals to anganwadi children in India so that they can retain a healthy childhood.
• Improves socialization among children from different castes and sects.
• Empower women through employment in the kitchens which would help them to lead an independent life.

In fact, it is because of the success of the Akshaya Patra mid-day meals, that food and education are reached out to multitudes of children in India, thus serving as a catalyst to the progress of our nation. The mission of the NGO is to feed 5 million children by 2020. So let us donate for the children so that the organisation can widen its reach to other states in India. It takes Rs. 750 to feed a child for a year! 

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How Akshaya Patra's Mid-day Meal Programme Supports Education

“Students can’t focus if their stomachs hurt because they are hungry”- Diane Gillen

Children from low income families study in government schools as education is provided free to them. Still a large percentage of children do not attend schools as they can’t concentrate with hungry stomachs. Most of the children accompany their parents to their work places for a meagre income which will enable them to fulfil their hunger. Thus these children end up as a drop-out putting their future at stake.

Acknowledging this burning issue, Akshaya Patra serves mid-day meals in partnership with The Government of India and various State Governments. The organisation feeds 1.5 million school children in 11,360 Government schools and Government-aided schools every day.

The need for an adequate meal

Without adequate food with proper nutritional values, a child cannot concentrate in class and memorize what he is taught. It leads to lower IQ and learning disabilities. The Akshaya Patra mid-day meals meet the nutritional requirements essential for the growth and development of a child. Hot, nutritious and hygienic meals are delivered with prescribed calories. Adequate supply of micro nutrients as iron, folic acid, zinc, fibre, essential fatty acids, calcium, carbohydrates, protein and vitamin A are supplemented through lunch servings with roti, rice khichdi, curd rice, vegetable pulao, mixed vegetable curry, sambar, dal, rasam etc.  Nine varieties of dal, five varieties of pulses, soy chunks and different varieties of nutritious vegetables are added into the sambar. The rice and wheat served, meets adequate standards as prescribed by The Government of India. As the organisation understands that the mid-day meal is the only proper meal of the day for many of the children in a government school, unlimited food with high nutritional value are served.

The procedure to serve a nutritious meal

The vegetables are washed properly and stored in refrigerator to retain its nutritious value. A complete quality inspection is done to meet with Akshaya Patra’s Raw Material Specifications, adopted from the Food Safety Standards Act 2006 (FSSA). All the kitchen equipment are sanitised before usage. All the food items are transferred hot into the vessels untouched by hands.

Each meal is cooked and transported under hygienic conditions by customised delivery vans which transport mid-day meals to various schools at the right time. Meals are delivered in stainless steel containers which keeps food hot and fresh for long intervals. Every vehicle is steam-sterilised before the loading.  The vehicles have a puffed body to reduce loss of temperature. The honeycomb structure inside, holds the vessels upright and keeps the freshness of the cooked meal intact.  This is how every nutritious meal is served warm and fresh.  

The lunch at school is a bonus that motivates children to stay at school. The mid-day meal programme aims at enhancing enrolment, level of concentration and meets nutritional necessities of the children. So hunger, which is an obstacle to health, education and a bright future are tackled by mid-day meals with high nutritious value.

It is our responsibility as part of the society to support NGO with donation. It’s our responsibility to help the cause of fighting malnutrition, hunger and promoting education. It’s our responsibility to feed the hungry children.

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