Akshaya Patra Foundation: mid day meal scheme

Impact of mid-day meal on growing children

Posted by Akshaya Patra Foundation Posted on 10:12 AM with No comments

Over the years, the Mid-Day Meal Scheme has proved itself to be a supporting pillar in the overall development of children even at the grass root level of the society. The Scheme that was initiated by Government of India is being implemented by various Non-Governmental Organisations too. The Akshaya Patra Foundation is one among the various NGOs. Akshaya Patra began providing school lunch at five Government schools in Bengaluru city of Karnataka in 2000. This was even before the official central mandate in 2003 by the Government of India to provide free cooked mid-day meal at all Government schools. But after the mandate was passed, Akshaya Patra partnered with the Government of India in providing cooked meals at schools. Since then, Akshaya Patra has been working in a Public-Private Partnership model to achieve the six objectives of the Central Mid-Day Meal Scheme i.e.:

Eliminating classroom hunger
Increasing school enrolment
Increasing school attendance
Improving socialization among castes
Addressing malnutrition, and
Women empowerment

During the course of implementing the mid-day meal programme for 15 years now, Akshaya Patra has also conducted impact studies of the programme in association with noted research organisations. The Akshaya Patra kitchen process and operations has also become a part of prestigious institutes like Harvard Business School. Below are mention of few impact studies that clearly showcase the significance and potential of the mid-day meal programme in eliminating classroom hunger, improving child health and also increasing enrolment and concentration of children.

· ‘Assessment of Mid-Day Meal Programme In 8 States’ by Sigma Research and Consulting Pvt. Ltd.

· ‘Impact Assessment Study Report of The Akshaya Patra Foundation - HPCL Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) projects (2012-13)’ by Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS)

· ‘Report on Measuring the Impact of Mid- Day-Meal on Child Growth’ by Department of Public Health Manipal University

· ‘Evaluation of the Mid-Day Meal Programme – June 2012’ by Kusuma Trust U.K.

· ‘Impact study 2012’ by Edumedia

· ‘Impact Assessment of The Akshaya Patra Foundation’s Mid-Day Meal Programme 2010’ by A.C. Nielsen

· ‘Akshaya Patra: Feeding India's School Children’ by Harvard business school

A click on Akshaya Patra Impact Studies will take you to the details of each of the above mentioned studies. To support Akshaya Patra, donate online to charity.

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Students honour Akshaya Patra with a song

Posted by Akshaya Patra Foundation Posted on 11:01 AM with No comments

The Akshaya Patra Foundation was recently honoured in a very novel way by some of the beneficiaries of the mid-day meal programme. Students of the Gajuwaka High School in Visakhapatnam composed a song dedicated to Akshaya Patra and performed it as part of a cultural event marking the end of the Badi Pilustondi (School Calling) programme conducted by the State Government of Andhra Pradesh.

The Badi Pulistondi programme was a week-long initiative undertaken to spread awareness amongst children and parents of the locality on the importance of education, and encourage parents to enroll their children in school again. The week included programmes that targeted ensuring that 100 per cent of all eligible students were enrolled in school, with no dropouts, and that the Child Labour Prohibition and Regulation Act is implemented.

During the week several Government schools in Visakhapatnam, along with their teachers and local dignitaries took part in the programme. When the programme ended, the students, teachers, parents and dignitaries celebrated the occasion, with food served by The Akshaya Patra Foundation. The organisation received a great deal of praise for its high quality of food in terms of taste and nutrition, as well as impressive standards of hygiene.

The song that the students composed and sang about Akshaya Patra as part of this programme was an honour indeed. The students exhibited their appreciation for the work Akshaya Patra undertakes through the mid-day meal scheme, and thanked the Foundation for giving them the ability to be healthy, and focus on their education, with no fear of hunger.

This heartfelt display of appreciation was touching to behold, and is truly all that Akshaya Patra needs to keep striving for its mission to feed five million children by 2020. To listen to the song, click here

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The Joy of Giving

Posted by Akshaya Patra Foundation Posted on 5:04 PM with No comments

The Akshaya Patra Organisation is wholly dependent on the good will of its benefactors. This good will comes in the form of volunteering, publicity and most importantly, financial aid. Akshaya Patra needs access to a great deal of funding to bring to life its long term, large scale mission of taking the mid-day meal scheme to 5 million government school children across India every day, by 2020.

Dr. A.P.J Abdhul Kalam's visit to Akshaya Patra Foundation

Posted by The Akshaya Patra Foundation Posted on 3:58 PM with No comments

Dr. A. P. J Abdul Kalam , the Former President of India visited the Akshaya Patra foundation at Bangalore on June 7, 2003 to inaugurate the Kids for Kids scheme.

“When I entered the divine, beautiful temple, I turned to Swami Madhu Pandit Dasa and appreciated his power to spread the message and particularly giving food under the Akshaya Patra program”, said Dr. A.P.J during his visit to the facility.

Dr. A.P.J Abdhul Kalam's visit to Akshaya Patra Foundation

For more information visit: http://www.akshayapatra.org