Revati’s hope story by Akshaya Patra

Empathy walks hand in hand with Revati. An Akshaya Patra beneficiary (Akshaya Patra is an NGO in Mysuru and 28 other locations in India), Revati is a 10-year-old girl studying in Class V in Government Higher Primary School (GHPS), Hinkal, Mysuru. This young mind aims to become a pediatrician while empathy drives her ambition. She says, “I like children a lot. I wish to ease their suffering.”

Strong support for a strong aspiration

Revati, a student who is benefitted by Mid-Day Meal Programme in Karnataka, comes from a broken home. Her mother committed suicide when she was just three months old. Her father, who remarried after the incident, works as a coolie at a provision store. Her 11-year-old elder sister stays with him, whereas Revati stays with maternal grandmother in a joint family. She sees her father once a week or once a fortnight.  

Hope in the story 

A determined student, Revati counts English and Kannada as her favourite subjects. “I also like drawing, dancing and participating in cultural programmes. Akshaya Patra’s mid-day meals in Karnataka are a big hit with Revati and her classmates. They are also a relief and reassurance for her family that she gets a healthy, wholesome school lunch every day. She enthusiastically states, “The food is tasty, nutritious and hygienic, which is great. The payasam and Bisibele Baath are my favourite.”

Read all the Akshaya Patra Beneficiary stories at hope stories.

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Lakshmi’s Hope Story by Akshaya Patra

Standing guard in defense of the country is a mighty ambition. Lakshmi Bai, a 13-year-old beneficiary of The Akshaya Patra Foundation, an NGO in Hubballi, studying in Std VII, wants to join the armed forces. The Siachen incident, where 10 soldiers were buried underneath snow, changed the way she looked at the armed forces and inspired her to pursue the dream of joining them. She admires the sacrifices soldiers make so that citizens can be safe.

Lakshmi’s hope story is that she wants to serve her nation 24*7. “Protecting the nation is the primary objective. Sleep is secondary,” she says, adding, “This is my tribute to the martyrs and the soldiers who are working day and night for our nation. A soldier takes care of his nation irrespective of the weather. He has to stand vigil when the nation sleeps peacefully. I admire our soldiers."

Lakshmi enjoys the mid-day meals served in her school in Karnataka’s Hubballi, by Akshaya Patra, an NGO in Hubballi. “I do not bring lunch from home as I like the meals served in school, especially the pulao. The meals are highly nutritious, so my mother is not worried about my health anymore,” she says confidently.

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Her story teaches you two life lessons – to dream big and to save water!

Vidhi is a student of Class VII in Surat, Gujarat. Her story was documented by Akshaya Patra, an NGO in Surat which provides mid-day meals to over 1.6 million children in India.

Today - a student, tomorrow - a doctor. That’s Vidhi’s dream. Although she is yet to decide a particular subject to specialize, she is well aware that the path will invite hard work. “I know it will be difficult and I will have to work hard for it, but I am willing to do it,” she says. We believe it’s her determination to experience her dream someday.

Vidhi, like many students, enjoys participating in extracurricular activities such as dancing, drawing and elocution competitions, etc.  The last time she participated in an elocution competition, her topic was ‘The importance of saving water’. “If we stop wasting water by doing something as simple as turning our taps off properly, some of our water scarcity problems will definitely be solved.” She also spoke about implementing drip irrigation system as an effective measure to minimise water usage in agriculture.

As an NGO in Surat, Akshaya Patra which provides mid-day meal is encouraging 1,43,293 children to attend school. Vidhi is also an Akshaya Patra beneficiary, who apart from receiving education also enjoys nutritious mid-day meals. She says, “The food provided to us is good for health as it contains many nutrients required by our body. We get soybean, Dal Bhaat, Dal Dhokli, Thepla, etc. I like soybean and Dal the most, but I also like other food items that we get.”

Vidhi’s father works in a mall, while her mother works as a house help. Because the day begins early in a hectic situation, there’s an assurance for the family that Vidhi will be given food in school. “Nobody will like it if Akshaya Patra stops providing meals to our school, because then, we will have to get our lunchbox from home and that will be difficult for most of us.”

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Akshaya Patra’s primary focus continues to be Mid-Day Meal Programme which aims to end classroom hunger among school going children. In this journey, your contribution will make a difference for many children. You can donate for education in India by choosing to sponsor a child or more!

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