Akshaya Patra Foundation: mid day meal programme

Telling our story differently, How?

Posted by Akshaya Patra Foundation Posted on 10:01 AM with No comments

The Akshaya Patra Foundation is an NGO running the world largest mid-day meal programme. It caters to more than 1.4 million children in 10,845 govt. and govt. aided schools. It operates in 24 locations across 10 states in India. So, such an ever expanding organisation has to evolve constantly with the trends of how it communicates with its stakeholders, trustees, donors, beneficiaries, volunteers and well-wishers.

Here is how we move forward. We’ll move to integrate content excellence with creative brilliance The purpose is to create ideas so effective which cross over different barriers that result in: Content that is meaningful and motivates relevant audiences, Content that drives business and marketing goals.

These ideas cater to organisation’s interests, Stakeholders’ interests as well as Public interest. Akshaya Patra stories tell about the foundation’s progress, development, activities, beneficiaries and more. And through the stories we share, we’ll provoke conversations that fuel action and reaction throughout the year.

To do the above it requires a plan that includes scope of activities, key deliverables and outcomes before getting started. We need to develop elements of an idea that get dispersed systematically across multiple channels of conversation for the purpose of creating a unified and coordinated experience using a system wise storytelling approach.

Our stories should show commitment to our cause. As it’s a huge creative opportunity we have to partner with the teams to decide what inspirations we need to push and what stories we share. The right story about Akshaya Patra will always give the right message and eventually earn the right reaction.

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Akshaya Patra Applies Technology to Run the Mid-day Meal Programme

Posted by Akshaya Patra Foundation Posted on 10:42 AM with No comments

There are several advancements in technology that has indeed made our lives easy but how much of these development can benefit society from a three sixty degree view. Technology has indeed made impact interventions but are we able to harness enough to benefit all?

Talking about mid-day meal we can have a distinct view on its applications and benefits. The Mid-Day Meal Scheme is one of the largest free school lunch programme initiated by the Government of India. It is to ensure that children receive nutritious meals and can concentrate on studies rather than on earning a square meal. It is to tackle classroom hunger and promote education. In order to implement this, there are kitchens across the country to run the programme. As these kitchens have to cater to thousands and millions of children every day, they are categorised as centralised kitchens and decentralised kitchens. Centralised kitchens are mechanised kitchens equipped for mass production of mid-day meal and they also act as nodal kitchen for a set of schools in a particular region. This model of kitchens is viable and largely seen in urban areas.

Signs of technological intervention are a sure sight in all the kitchens of The Akshaya Patra Foundation. A walk into any kitchen unit of the Foundation will give a well maintained factory-like feel. A closer look will reveal that it is a kitchen that bustles up every morning to prepare thousands and millions of meal. Right from huge rice cauldrons beginning with 500 litres cooking capacity and dal cauldrons with capacity of 1,200 litres to 3,000 litres of dal, there are mechanised roti making machines that can roll out 200,000 rotis from 6,000 kilograms of wheat flour. Not just for cooking, Akshaya Patra also utilises technology in storage and delivery process. There are cold storages in each kitchen to store ready-to-cook cut vegetables to retain freshness. For delivering the cooked food, the NGO makes use of custom-made insulated vehicles to control temperature loss so that freshness of the cooked meal remains intact till it is served to the children. In order to ensure safety and on-time delivery, methods like logistic charting for route optimization and GPRS are adopted and implemented in the kitchens.

There many more applications of technology that have helped in continuous increase of productivity, enhanced quality and improved service. These interventions have also potentially affected sustainability of each kitchen allowing the Foundation to increase its beneficiary base. Yet, Akshaya Patra continues to explore newer avenues to further advance its capacity of feeding millions of children and move forward in eradicating classroom hunger.

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Bollywood Star Ranveer Singh campaigns for Akshaya Patra!

Posted by Akshaya Patra Foundation Posted on 2:21 PM with No comments

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.

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A Compassionate Akshaya Patra Beneficiary

Posted by Akshaya Patra Foundation Posted on 3:21 PM with No comments

Nausheen is a student of class nine in the Zilla Parishad High School in Telangana, a beneficiary school of the Akshaya Patra mid-day meal programme. Though she is so young she is already a very emotionally mature and compassionate young lady. She does extremely well in class and already knows what her ambition is. "I want to become a lecturer. I love Hindi language and I want to become a good teacher to my students," she says.

Part of what Nausheen also loves about school is the Akshaya Patra mid-day meal. "I love the khichdi (rice and lentils) served by Akshaya Patra,” she exclaims.

Nausheen’s older sister, Afreen, also studies at the same school in class ten. Her sister lives with an ailment of the hand that prevents her from being able to move the limb. This affliction has caused her so much upset that often she refuses to eat the Akshaya Patra lunch provided at the school in case her classmates make fun of her.

Nausheen, at such a young age, has already taken on the responsibilities of helping her mother and sister with their chores, with compassion.

On hearing Nausheen and her sister’s story we were moved to take assurances from the teachers of the school that efforts would be made to make Afreen more comfortable. We hope that she has the opportunity to feel happy and settled, enjoying Akshaya Patra’s mid-day meal served hot on the school campus.

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Bharathi Mahapatra: Boosting young minds and dreams

Posted by Akshaya Patra Foundation Posted on 5:21 PM with No comments

Teachers transform children into the adults they will grow up to be. They help develop their mental and social capabilities, hone their skills and equip them with the knowledge that they will carry with them into the future. It’s a serious responsibility and needs right person to carry it out.

Bharathi Mahapatra shoulders this duty well in her role as headmistress of the Vijayanagar Project Primary School in Puri. Kind and welcoming, she looks after her school armed with her 21 years of experience in the field of education.

The school which teaches children from standard I to V trains them in not just academics, but performing arts, writing and reading skills too. Right now the school has 113 children enrolled who come flocking to class every day to lap up their day’s lessons and enjoy their nutritious mid-day meal too.

The children who are beneficiaries of the Akshaya Patra mid-day meal usually come from economically challenged families, Bharathi says. Because of hunger many times children are driven to labour to survive. However because of the Akshaya Patra mid-day meal they get to enjoy their classes as well as a daily healthy meal. “And the children get to live their childhood as they are supposed to", she adds.

We were especially pleased and humbled to hear that Bharathi took up the transfer to the area voluntarily in order to work at the school.

It is the combination of teachers like Bharathi, and the shining, happy faces of the healthy children that act a constant reminder of the great mission Akshaya Patra has undertaken. With the support of the mid-day meal programme and guidance of excellent instructors, thousands of children all over India now have hope in a great future.

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