Mid Day Meals: a Bridge to Abundant Futures of Children

Early childhood is the period of rapid growth and development of a child’s mind and body. Thus, childhood nutrition lays the foundation for motor, cognitive, social and emotional skills for their entire lives. It ensures strong immunity against infections, proper brain development, healthy growth of vital organs and improvement in children’s physical and cognitive activity. 

Why mid day meals?

Ensuring children receive proper nutrition is not an easy task. A child must be served various nutrients balanced by type and proportion.  

Additionally, children from underprivileged families are the most vulnerable to life-threatening illnesses due to lack of awareness about such nutritional requirements. As a result, frequent exposure to diseases forces millions of children in India to skip and even quit school altogether. 

This is why Akshaya Patra, an NGO in India, began its work in 2000 to tackle classroom hunger by providing adequate nourishment to strengthen their immunity. What started by feeding 1,500 children is now running the world’s largest NGO-run school lunch programme. Presently, Akshaya Patra serves mid-day meals (MDM) to 1.8 million children across 14 states and 2 union territories every single day! 

How does Akshaya Patra contribute to child development? 

Ever since Akshaya Patra started supporting the Indian Government in implementing the mid-day meal (MDM) programme, it has been conducting thorough research to provide the best food for the nation’s leaders of tomorrow. 

Conclusively, the NGO in India began following nutritional guidelines declared by the Supreme Court of India and the Ministry of Education (previously known as the Ministry of Human Resource Development) for preparing school meals. 

Guidelines by the Supreme Court of India

• Every child must get a minimum of 300 calories and 8-12 grams of protein per day
• Adequate nutrition must be provided on all school days for a minimum of 200 days

Guidelines by the Ministry of Education

• Every meal must contain carbohydrates, proteins, and micronutrients such as iron, folic acid, Vitamin A etc.
• Primary school children must receive at least 450 calories with 12 grams of protein, while upper primary and secondary school children must receive 700 calories with 20 grams of protein

How do mid day meals determine children’s future?

When the nutritional requirements are met efficiently, a child’s body builds strength and stamina to deal with all the odds with perseverance. This will enable children—especially those from challenging backgrounds—to work hard, surpass their socioeconomic boundaries and escape the vicious cycle of poverty.

Here’s the story of Roshini, a mid-day meal beneficiary from Odisha, who lost a majority of her childhood worrying and getting bullied because of a white patch on her skin. She grew anxious thinking it may spread all over her body and even stopped eating, assuming the white patch may spread faster because of an ingredient that she could be unaware of. 

However, once she was introduced to the internet by a school friend, it cleared all her misconceptions. She further explored the online world and decided to become a cosmetic surgeon to help people like her. 

During her research, Roshini also found out about Akshaya Patra and its hygienic processes for cooking school meals. Hence, she no longer hesitated to relish safe and fulfilling meals at her school that come from the same Foundation.

Education and resources at school helped Roshini look at the world from a new perspective. Millions of children like Roshini come to school for nutritious meals and such enlightening experiences to establish a purpose for their lives. This is where Akshaya Patra steps in; it serves food to Government and Government-aided schools and fuels the dreams of children from challenging backgrounds.

How can you support Akshaya Patra?

You can support Akshaya Patra in multiple ways. 

• Donate online on Akshaya Patra’s website. A donation of INR 1,500 funds school meals for an entire academic year. The more you contribute, the more the children will flourish.
• Start fundraising campaigns on Akshaya Patra’s website and share them amongst your loved ones to raise funds.
• Donate a delivery vehicle to help Akshaya Patra reach more schools. 
• Donate for utensils the children use to have their meals such as steel plates and tumblers. 
• Participate in volunteering activities involving school children or those that advocate sustainability.
• Spread the word amongst your social circle to encourage support for children.

If people come together to do the best they can, it opens up new opportunities for the foundation to reach beyond the current locations. For instance, Akshaya Patra recently inaugurated its 61st kitchen in Andhra Pradesh with the help of a generous donor. It also receives delivery vans from compassionate donors that helps expand their reach. 

Donating to NGOs also benefits the donors in many ways. When you know your hard-earned money is being deployed for a social cause, you experience ultimate joy and contentment. Additionally, you can also avail tax exemption under section 80G as the Foundation is registered Section 12A (a) of the Income Tax Act, 1961.

With your continued support, we are sure to fulfil our mission of feeding 5 million children by 2025. 
The more you donate for children’s healthy meals, the more educated our nation’s children will be and the more development India will see.