Welcome New Year 2022 with Akshaya Patra

 Come, share your happiness in welcoming the new year 2022 and be a part of Akshaya Patra s noble venture to feed nutritious midday meal to school children. Akshaya Patra is an NGO in India which is striving hard to provide food for education

Rejuvenating health of children

 

Praveen Kumar is a mid-day meal beneficiary who studies in 6^th grade of GHPS, Siddeshwaranagar, Dharwad, Karnataka. During the lockdown period, he missed his school, teachers, friends and having mid-day meals (MDM). To support the health, immunity, hygiene and education of such children, The Akshaya Patra Foundation initiated The Happiness Kit Programme when the midday meal scheme was paused. Children like Praveen received food essentials from this NGO in India that would help them gain the required nutrition when schools were closed.

 

Praveen is happy to be back to school and meet his friends and teachers. He is particularly excited about enjoying the midday meals served in school.

 

Akshaya Patra focuses on food consumption by beneficiary school children and ensures the midday meal nutrition requirements by providing adequate amounts of nutrients like protein and energy as per the given MDM guidelines.

 

A cooked mid-day meal provides:

Components	Primary	Upper Primary
Calories	450 Cal	700 Cal
Protein	12 gm	20 gm
Micro-nutrients	Adequate quantities of micro-nutrients like Iron, Folic Acid, Vitamin-A, etc.

The recipes used by Akshaya Patra contain different food groups (Cereals, pulse, vegetables, spices, sugars and jaggery, oils, etc.) to ensure that the nutrients are received by the beneficiary group.

 

The recipes are standardized by calculating nutritive values by referring to the book - Nutritive value of Indian foods by C Gopalan, BV Rama Sastri and SC Balasubramanian-National institute of Nutrition ICMR Hyderabad) and recipes are analysed in external NABL-accredited labs.

 

INNOVATIVE MENU DESIGNED AS PER THE MIDDAY MEAL SCHEME

Akshaya Patra has adopted innovative approaches to enhance the nutrient content of the MDM menu and increase its consumption. One such approach is to add a third item and introduce sweets and pickles in various locations. Another approach is to make the existing items more palatable and interesting. These elements enhance the taste and offset the menu fatigue that might set in children. The menu has a variety of flavours, such as sweet, spicy, etc.

New Product Development Centres (NPDC) have also been set up to make mid-day meals more nutritious and interesting by developing new recipes and opting for in-recipe modifications.

 

AKSHAYA PATRA SERVES HEALTHY SNACKS

 

These snacks are a hit among children who receive locally palatable meals. They enjoy these seasonal fruits that they can snack upon in the evening while they go back home. Every meal is prepared in a hygienic manner with great caution.

 

The Foundation has centralised and decentralised kitchens in 58 locations spread across 13 states & 1 union territory of India. The kitchens are known for their efficiency and efficacy. Every centralised kitchen is automated and can cook close to 6,000 kg of rice, 4.5-5 tonnes of vegetables and 6,000 litres of sambar in only 4 hours. To ensure that the waste generated in the kitchens are discarded in a safe manner, the NGO in India has set up anaerobic digestion plants to produce biogas. This biogas is then used as cooking fuel for seasoning, etc.

 

AKSHAYA PATRA’S COOKING PROCESS

After meeting the FQMS process that includes Supplier Selection, Supplier Qualification, Supplier Rating, etc., a set quantity of raw materials are procured. The Quality Control process ensures that all the raw materials are accepted only after a thorough Quality Inspection. The raw materials are procured only if they meet all the Raw Material Specifications that are adapted from Food Safety Standards Act 2006 (FSSA). To ensure that all the raw materials are fresh, the kitchens follow the FIFO (First In First Out) and FEFO (First Expiry First Out) methods. With this method, it can properly identify, store and aptly retrieve the raw materials.

 

·         The operations of the kitchens start early in the morning around 4-5 am.

·         The kitchen employees begin cleaning all the pulses, rice and vegetables with water.

·         All the helpers begin cutting vegetables and preparing for the meals. The vegetable cutting machines finely chop other vegetables like potato and onion, while the vegetable peelers skin out vegetables like potato, radish, carrots, etc.

·         Recipes are standardised across the kitchens so that safety, hygiene and taste are not compromised.

 

The vessels used in the cooking process are made of stainless steel of 304 food grade. All the equipment used in the kitchen, including cauldrons, trolleys, rice chutes, sambar and dal tanks, knives, etc. are made of SS-304 grade. This ensures that no hazardous material or toxins enter the food that is cooked for the nourishment of children.

·         Once the food is prepared, they are loaded onto insulated vessels that are waiting to be filled in the conveyor belt.

·         A quality check, temperature check is carried out at regular intervals

·         These vessels are then packed, sealed and loaded onto the delivery vans.

 

Delivery vans are designed in a manner that retains heat, avoids spillage and has more capacity to deliver to many schools. The specially built delivery vehicles are insulated to preserve the ideal temperature, are dust-free, and aid in the preservation of the meals' freshness. Akshaya Patra customises its delivery vehicles with insulated bodies and honeycomb constructed racks to carry large containers.

 

When these delivery vans reach Government and Government-aided schools well before the lunch break, the food remains hot. This means that children can enjoylocally palatable meals that are fresh, nutritious and hot on their plate. Support the feeding of school children coming from challenging backgrounds with your online donations.

 

Write to us if you want to know about which food item is served in which state.

Five benefits of donating

                     When you engage in any charitable act, it reflects the

compassionate, humane, and responsible side of you.

Often, we get caught up in the regular humdrum of life; we get so busy that we tend to overlook those who are in need of our support. While attending to our regular responsibilities and fulfilling the required duties, we miss to nurture the benevolent and compassionate traits in us. This is where NGOs come into play. NGOs are organisations that work at the ground level to bring about a tangible and sustainable change in the society. The work of these organisations encompasses issues related to empowerment, social development, environment protection, health, education, poverty, hunger and similar issues. Hence, by engaging with NGOs, be it in the capacity of a volunteer, donor, knowledge partner or a goodwill ambassador, you can create a huge impact.

In view of the significant role that NGOs play, even the government encourages individuals and businesses to engage with and
contribute to charitable organisations!

The Income Tax Policy of Government of India clearly supports philanthropic contributions made towards charitable organisations and NGOs. As per Section 80G of the Income Tax Act, monetary contributions made towards a registered NGO or a charitable organisation qualifies to receive tax exemption on the donated amount. Whether the donor receives 100% exemption or 50% exemption on the donated amount depends on the cause and work of the charitable organisation.

Tax deductible donations have five benefits:

1.    Aids the beneficiary NGO in its operations and helps the organisation to sustain and expand its service.

2.    Positively impacts lives of beneficiaries of the NGO.

3.    Upholds the values of compassion and generosity, as well as instils a sense of ‘giving back to the society’.  

4.    Uplifts the community by making people aware, responsible, and a part of the solution for various issues.

5.    Makes the donor eligible to receive tax exemption.

NGOs understand the worth of each penny and
ensures that the donation funds are utilised in the right way.

No matter what issue the NGO is working for, every bit of your support will be valued and looked forward to. So, you can choose to support an NGO depending on the cause you identify with most. For instance, if you want to support education and health of children hailing from socio-economically challenging backgrounds, then you can support NGOs like The Akshaya Patra Foundation that accept tax deductible donations. Akshaya Patra is one of the pioneer NGOs in India to start implementing the Midday Meal Programme. It has been providing nutritious school lunch to children in government schools and government-aided schools for the past 21 years. 

Currently, Akshaya Patra provides regular midday meals to 18,00,907 children studying in 19,039 schools across 58 locations of 13 States and 1 Union Territory. When you donate to this NGO:

1.      You make nutritious food accessible to children, support their education, and help them to progress towards their dreams and goals.

2.      The midday meals contribute to the overall development of children by enhancing their concentration and improving their performance in academics and co-curricular activities.

3.      These meals improve attendance and reduces drop-out rate, thereby ensuring continuity in education.

4.      You create a lasting impact in the lives of young, determined, and aspirational children.

5.      You become eligible to receive tax exemption on your donated amount (applicable for donation of ₹500 and above).

Considering the cause and the diligence in financial transparency, Akshaya Patra is considered among the best NGO in India to donate to.

In conclusion, your one moment of compassion and contribution can create a phenomenal difference in the society. So, while you go about fulfilling the necessary responsibilities, do attend to your benevolent side too! Get double the benefit for making tax deductible donations – to support children by doing good while you save tax.

USHER CHILDREN INTO A YEAR OF GREAT HEALTH

 

Gift nutritious school meals to children all year round 

Meals that strengthens hope - Latest success stories of Akshaya Patra

 

Have you ever thought, how would it be to uphold hopes and give wings to lakhs of aspirations, every single day? Well, The Akshaya Patra Foundation, an NGO in India has been doing this for the past 21 years. In 2000, with the vision, “No child shall be deprived of education because of hunger’, Akshaya Patra began serving freshly prepared, nutritious school meals to children in government schools and government-aided schools. It is one of the pioneers in implementing the Midday Meal Programme in partnership with the Central Government and various State Governments.

Akshaya Patra has progressed from providing meals to 1,500 children at five schools in Bengaluru in 2000 to benefitting 18,00,907 children in 19,039 schools in 58 locations across 13 States and 1 Union Territory in 2021.

The Midday Meal Programme impacts lives of children in more ways than what’s visible on the surface and Akshaya Patra is well-aware of this impact. Hence, it strives each day to provide high-quality, nutritious meals to children across India. More often than not, this meal is the reason why parents send their children to school with the hope that children will receive at least one full meal a day. Their reason of sending children to school may not primarily be that for education, but it certainly opens up the path to education and children witness that their far-fetched dream of going to school has finally come true. This turn of events instil a sense of confidence in them that it is possible to achieve their dreams.

Stories of hope

Here’s sharing the hope stories of two Akshaya Patra beneficiaries from among 18,00,907 beneficiaries.

·         Inspired by “Gully Boy” a popular Bollywood movie mixed with his sheer interest in music, Rajesh, a student of Chandrabaghabai Education Society is all set to become the next sensation as a rap artist. He already writes his own lyrics and makes music out of anything; just by tapping his hand and pencil on the desk, Rajesh creates a variety of rhythms. And once he has found the right tune for the lyrics, he confidently raps it in front of the whole class with his friends as beatboxers. His fluency in English and Hindi is worth a mention. His determination to become a rap artist become even more pronounced as he shares, “I visit my neighbour’s house twice a week to watch shows of my favourite artists and I try to learn from their styles.” Rajesh is a true performer and have received appreciation of his principal and the entire school. He says, “No work is a task, if you do it wholeheartedly. And my heart beats to rap music. I want to be a rap artist. I know it is not all that easy and I don’t have a Bollywood background. But I will work very hard with all my heart and get to the top on my own.”

·         Not many of us can turn a flaw into our strength, but Roshni, a student from Higher Primary School, Odisha did it. A white patch on the face shadowed most of Roshni’s schooldays. She was nicknamed as patchy, white-patch etc. Roshni felt humiliated and every day became more and more traumatising. Gradually, she distanced herself from everyone, stopped eating food because of the fear that certain food may worsen the patch. One day, Roshni’s friend introduced her to the internet and that changed everything for her. She read about the patch on her face and understood that all along there was no reason to feel insecure about the patch or the food she ate. Instantly, she accepted the mark as her identity and decided to become a Cosmetic Surgeon. Alongside she also read up on the kind of food that is beneficial for her skin. While doing so, she browsed a little more to know about the NGO that serves daily lunch at her school, The Akshaya Patra Foundation. She was pleasantly surprised and happy to know that the Foundation ensured complete cleanliness while preparing the food and prioritised children’s safety at every step. Since then, she has never hesitated to eat her school meals. Roshni’s teachers were glad to witness the positive change in her. They support her morally and financially as an encouragement to achieve her dreams. Today, Roshni is a confident girl who is good at academics and participates in all co-curricular activities. She says, “I want to give confidence to people who are insecure about their looks. I want to become a Cosmetic Surgeon and be the best that Odisha has.”

Support Akshaya Patra to nurture more dreams

This NGO in India strives to make each day better, happier, and fulfilling for children. It aims to feed 50-lakh children by 2025. Join the mission and instantly make a difference in the lives of children by contributing online donation. Your one moment of generosity will change the lives of children for the better. Step in to give hope and nurture budding dreams because every bit of your support matters.

Akshaya Patra feeds meals to children in stainless steel plates

 

The Akshaya Patra Foundation is an NGO that has the distinction of being the world's largest NGO-run school lunch programme, serving freshly cooked, nutritious mid-day meals to over 1.8 million children in 19,039 schools of 13 states & 1 union territory of India.

To ensure safety and hygiene for the sake of children, Stainless Steel Grade 304 is used in the kitchens. Meals are served on steel plates so that children can comfortably enjoy their meals.

Special Occasion donation-make them feel special

 

Two young children looked out of the window. They were not able to concentrate in class. The only thought running in their mind was their growling stomach. Their last meal was only from the previous night – plain rice with pickles; it was hardly a handful of rice and their stomachs were not even close to being full. Their ears waited for the school lunch bell so that they can enjoy eating their favourite dishes cooked as a part of their school’s midday meal.

 Midday Meal Programme is a provision made by the Government of India to ensure that children receive the right amount of nutrition. Many NGOs implement the mid-day meal scheme that is now called the PM POSHAN. As a part of this scheme, nutritious meals are provided to children studying in government and government-aided schools of India. With monetary contributions from various individual donors, corporate partners and volunteers, NGOs feed school children every day.

Caring for children’s health with donations

Millions of people care for these children coming from challenging backgrounds as their parents cannot afford to provide wholesome meals even for one day. Their campaigns, contributions and donations on various occasions support NGOs to feed school children.

 Special occasions are major events when people donate. Personal events hold a special place in one’s memory and life. People gather with friends and family to celebrate occasions that are dear to them. Some people donate in memory of their loved ones, some give on the first day of their office, housewarming, while others make birthday donations.

 Why do people donate on special occasions?

Giving to people who do not have or are not privileged as us, brings happiness and the satisfaction of helping someone in need. Many people make birthday donations with the intention that they should perform good deeds by helping others. Here is a list of occasions on which people choose to do something good:

 

Reasons for making donations

Donating to a charity is worthwhile as it gives a feeling of fulfilment and contentment apart from easing the hardships of individuals who face them every day. Contributing to NGOs that work towards a particular cause is the best way to do your bit for society. Below are the reasons why you should donate:

 

Small donations make a lot of difference to an NGO

Every small donation matters and it counts to benefit the person/people who are waiting for the support. Like every droplet, every individual donation counts.

 

Brings inner satisfaction

When we take care of each other, it brings about a social responsibility to help and support one and another. When human beings know that someone needs their help, they are all glad that someone is doing something for them without expecting anything in return.

 

Connects you with like-minded people

When you associate yourself with a noble cause, you connect with people who have a similar mindset. Your ideas, thoughts and concerns start aligning with each other and the cause they work towards.

 

When you make donations for reasons that interest you, for example, feeding school meals to children under the midday mealprogramme, you help them in fighting hunger. The Akshaya Patra Foundation is an NGO in India that works towards providing nutritious meals to school children coming from challenging socio-economic backgrounds by giving them unlimited meals for education.

School children wait for their lunch break to go off, as they eagerly look forward to receiving hot food every day. You can be the reason for the elimination of classroom hunger in children. Join the Foundation to help children concentrate in class on a full stomach and become active by participating in classroom and school activities.

Role of NGOs in child welfare

 

Good nutrition helps us survive and thrive. Well-nourished children, grow, learn, develop, play, participate and become healthy adults giving birth to a healthy next-generation. Malnutrition takes away the best of their capabilities, leaving them frail and with no energy due to underlying deficiencies. To bring them out of malnourishment, the Governments of various countries made several provisions for the betterment of the health of individuals at different stages of life.

 

The power of NGOs

When the Government takes to solving an issue, many non-governmental organisations come forward to join hands with them. They are the bridge between the beneficiaries and the government. Many non-profit organisations in India have shown interest to improve the health of people. The role of NGOs in India is not restricted towards the development of certain people of society, it also ranges to cleanliness, sustenance, animal welfare, protection of biodiversity, etc. Some take the role of supporting children’s health and education, while some other NGOs take care of the health of the elderly or the development of expecting mothers and her child.

 

The Akshaya Patra Foundation is one NGO in India that is an implementing partner of the Government of India for the Mid-Day Meal Programme. It plays a vital role in nourishing school children whose parents cannot afford wholesome meals for them. Apart from the midday meal scheme, it has taken up feeding initiatives:

·         Anganwadi feeding

·         Feeding to provide disaster relief

·         Feeding expecting mothers

·         Feeding in old-age homes

To ensure that children receive healthy food right from birth, the Foundation has undertaken Anganwadi feedings as one of its feeding initiatives.

 

Role of NGO in India to nourish pregnant women

During the first six years of life, children attain several developmental milestones which becomes the foundation for learning and development in the future. A healthy mother gives birth to a healthy child which then grows up to become a healthy and responsible citizen who gives birth to healthy children. It is a circle of life and is one major reason why it is important to feed a child with healthy food at a very young age.

 

Akshaya Patra’s Anganwadi reach:

Targets children from 3 to 6 years and pregnant and lactating mothers.

 

 

Role of NGO in India to implement the midday meal scheme

In 2020, 45.4 million children under 5 years old were affected by wasting. To improve the nutritional status of such children, Akshaya Patra became an implementing partner in 2000, and started feeding where it was headquartered, in Bengaluru. For the last 21 years, the Foundation continuously prepares locally palatable meals with nutritional specification laid out by the Supreme Court of India.

 

Your role in supporting to feed a child

Children are the ones who decide the progression of a country in the future. India’s progress lies in the hands of young children who have big dreams to achieve. Make a donation for children to realise their dream and bring them to life.

 

Children aspire to be famous personalities when they grow to become adults. Helping them realise their dream, is in our hands. Mid-day meals become a strong incentive for parents who cannot afford to send their children to school so that they get one healthy meal a day.

 

With Akshaya Patra, you can support children’s health and their education as well because the organisation believes that “No child in India shall be deprived of education because of hunger.”

 

As its name stands, Akshaya Patra provides unlimited food for education of children studying in government and government-aided schools. If you donate today, you can help a child grow into a healthy adult who will grow up to achieve more in life and become a responsible citizen too.

If you know about a child who has benefitted from receiving midday meals every day and has grown to become a responsible adult, let us know by commenting in the section below.

ANGANWADI FEEDING SCHEME OF AKSHAYA PATRA

 

Anganwadi feeding programme of Akshaya Patra aims to provide the right nutrition to the women and children  and helps to reduce malnutrition and mortality among children. 

Make this world a better place to live through midday meals

 

Midday meals open the gates to schools and paves way for aspirations of lakhs of children across India.

Education is one of the most potential gamechanger in eliminating the vicious cycle of poverty-hunger-illiteracy. To support education of children belonging to socio-economically challenging backgrounds, Government of India has initiated several education schemes. Alongside, the introduction of Mid-Day Meal Scheme for government schools and government-aided schools was a huge boon for children. Midday meal acts as an incentive for parents to send their children to school with the hope that children will receive at least one full meal for the day. Once at school, children inevitably get introduced to academic lessons and other developmental activities. This not only contributes to the literacy factor, but also enables children to hone their talents as well as instils a sense of confidence in them to achieve their aspirations.

To maximise the benefits of Central Mid-Day Meal Scheme, The Akshaya Patra Foundation, an NGO in India partnered with the Central Government of India and various State Governments to implement the scheme. Akshaya Patra is one of the pioneer NGOs that stepped in as an implementing partner with the vision “No child in India shall be deprived of education because of hunger.” Headquartered in Bengaluru, Akshaya Patra has been providing freshly cooked, nutritious, and locally palatable meals to schoolchildren across India for the last 21 years.

 

Currently, Akshaya Patra feeds more than 18-lakh children,
on every school day across India.

By operating in a public-private partnership model, Akshaya Patra expanded its operations from one location in 2000 to 58 locations in 2021. The Foundation understands the significance of each plate of midday meal, hence takes utmost care in the preparation and delivery of these meals. It prepares the meals in its own state-of-the-art centralised kitchens and has its own delivery logistics to transport the meals to schools across 13 states and 1 Union Territory. To ensure highest quality meals, all the kitchens of Akshaya Patra follow industry standard operating processes with utmost adherence to cleanliness and hygiene practices. The kitchens follow a cyclic menu and prepare locally palatable meals in compliance with the dietary norms as stated by the Central Mid-Day Meal Scheme.

 

Midday meal significantly impacts lives of children by directly contributing to their nutrition levels, health, and learning capacity.

Impact studies on Mid-Day Meal Programme reveals that consumption of regular school meals results in:

-          increased school enrolment

-          regularised attendance

-          decreased drop-out rate

-          improved health of children

-          better academic performance

-          continuity of schooling

This is clearly visible in the varied aspirations and strong determination of Akshaya Patra beneficiaries.

·         Sachin, a Standard VI student of Hanspal Primary School in Odisha aspires to be a pilot. He says, “Flying high gives you a whole different perspective in life. I know that being a pilot is difficult, but it is not impossible.”

·         Shyaali, a Standard VIII student of Ekaathmanagar School, Nagpur aspires to be a dentist. She says, “I do not lose my head over daily activities at home and school. I am more focussed now. My mom would have been happy if I was like this, two years back. For her, I will become a dentist one day and open my own clinic.”

·         Rajesh, a student of Chandrabaghabai Education Society, dreams of becoming a rap artist. He says, “No work is a task, if you do it wholeheartedly. And my heart beats to rap music. I want to be a rap artist. I know it is not all that easy and I don’t have a Bollywood background. But I will work very hard with all my heart and get to the top on my own.”

Support this NGO in India to expand its service and benefit more children with nutritious school meals.

One meal a day can do wonders for children and help them achieve what their heart desires. Together, let’s make the world a better place by ensuring regular and nutritious school meals. Contribute online donation and instantly make schooldays of children better.