Another Feather In The Cap - Mangalagiri Kitchen

 

Summary: With the objective to benefit more and more children with the Mid-Day Meal Programme, The Akshaya Patra Foundation has been relentlessly striving to expand its reach. One if the recent developments is the inauguration of the Mangalagiri Kitchen in Andhra Pradesh. It is an addition to the existing eight kitchens in the state.

Body of content: The Akshaya Patra Foundation has been implementing the Mid-Day Meal Scheme in India, now known as PM POSHAN Scheme, since 2000. The Foundation is cognisant that in its mission to feed the children, it has to consistently maintain high standards with regards to quality of meals, hygiene, cleanliness, and punctuality in preparing and delivering meals, each day. Hence, during the past 21 years, Akshaya Patra has been strategically and sustainably expanding its reach to provide regular nutritious school meals to children.

 Overview of Akshaya Patra’s service

Akshaya Patra began serving children in the year 2000. As a first step, the Foundation provided nutritious meals to 1,500 children in five government schools in Bengaluru. Soon, it realised the pronounced need of these meals. Gradually, Akshaya Patra started spreading its wings beyond Bengaluru and Karnataka. Presently, the Foundation has a beneficiary base of 18,00,907 children studying in 19,039 government schools and government-aided schools. It runs both centralised and decentralised kitchens to feed the children in urban, semi-urban, and remote areas. Currently, Akshaya Patra kitchens are located in 60 locations across 14 States and 2 Union Territories.

 About Mangalagiri Kitchen

·         Launch & supporters: This is one of the recently launched centralised kitchens of Akshaya Patra. Honourable Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, Shri. Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy was the Chief Guest for the occasion and inaugurated the kitchen. Special guests at the event were Honourable Minister of Education, Shri Audimulapu Suresh; Honourable Minister of Finance & Planning, Shri Buggana Rajendranath Reddy; Honourable Chairman – TTD, Shri Y.V. Subba Reddy; Honourable Member of Parliament, Shri Lavu Srikrishna Devarayulu (MP - Rajya Sabha), and Honourable MLA, Shri Alla Rama Krishna Reddy. The event was presided by Shri Satya Gaura Chandra Dasa in the presence of Shri Madhu Pandit Dasa, Chairman - Akshaya Patra.

 

This kitchen is supported by the Airports Authority of India. Shri R. Madhavan, Regional Executive Director, and Shri P.V. Rao Directors - Airports Authority of India, were the guests of honour at the event. The patron guest for the event was Shri Sanjeev Kumar, IAS., Chairman - Airports Authority of India. Shri Buditha Rajasekhar, IAS., PS, Department of School Education AP, Shri Vivek Yadav, IAS., Collector & District Magistrate - Guntur, and Shri Arif Hafeez, IPS were the special invitees for the event.

 

·         About the kitchen: This state-of-the-art centralised kitchen will provide nutritious school meals and impact the lives of more than 50,000 children. This will further the progress of the Mid-Day Meal Scheme in India. The kitchen is built on latest technology with gravitational technology as one of the main highlights. It has a Condensed Recovery System, Duracrete flooring, ETP for waste management, and fuel saving boiler as an eco-friendly measure.

 

·         Meal menu & delivery: Akshaya Patra will be serving as per the Jagananna Gorumudda Scheme so that it continues to adhere to the dietary norms while serving the local palate. A fleet of 15 vehicles will deliver the food to schools in insulated containers which can maintain the temperature of food for more than 6 hours.

Support Akshaya Patra’s endeavour

The Mid-Day Meal Scheme in India has been a potential intervention in the education sector. It has positively impacted the health, academic, and overall development of children. The meal programme has resulted in increased enrolment rate, attendance, and performance of the children. Help Akshaya Patra to continue to feed the children and create nourished and nurtured generations. You can donate directly, conduct fundraising campaigns, or join as a CSR partner. You can also spread the word in your social network. In conclusion, donate to NGO, nourish children and save tax while you engage in doing good. 

 

Author Profile:

The Akshaya Patra Foundation is an Indian NGO implementing the Mid-Day Meal Programme along with other relief feeding initiatives. Your support to Akshaya Patra can directly impacts lakhs of children as well as needy people amid crisis situations across India. Your donation towards Akshaya Patra will avail you tax exemption too.

5 tax-saving tips

The Akshaya Patra Foundation is registered as a not-for-profit organisation under the Indian Trusts Act, 1882 and Section 12A (a) of the Income Tax Act, 1961. It has been serving mid-day meals to underprivileged school children since 2000. Every donation made towards the NGO in India is eligible for 50% tax exemption.
 

Akshaya Patra's Role in International Day of Women and Girls in Science

 Gender equality and science go hand in hand. Though there have been several initiatives across the globe regarding women empowerment in the field of science, yet we have a long way to go. In order to support scientific temperament, ensure equal access to and participation in science among girls and women, the United Nations General Assembly declared 11 February as the International Day of Women and Girls in Science in 2015. The 7^th International Day of Women and Girls in Science that is being observed in 2022 will focus on the theme of “Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion: Water Unites Us" in an effort to make progress towards achievement of UN SDG Goal 6, i.e., Clean Water and Sanitation.

Women empowerment in the field of science is possible only when we nurture scientific temperament among girls from a young age. While there are several organisations, both academic and charitable working specifically on the cause of enabling girls and women to have a future in science, there are several NGOs who are boosting school education to give a strong foundation. One such organisation is The Akshaya Patra Foundation, an Indian NGO implementing the Mid-Day Meal Scheme across the country since past 21 years. The Foundation is headquartered in Bengaluru, Karnataka and has its presence across 14 States & 2 Union Territories of India. Currently, Akshaya Patra provides nutritious mid-day meals to 18,00,907 children studying in 19,039 government schools and government-aided schools. The sole reason that motivates Akshaya Patra to keep striving to nourish children every day is the aspirations of its beneficiaries. So, the objective of this Foundation is not only to feed the children, but to support their nutritional intake and health so that they are physically fit to learn well and attend school regularly. Several impact studies on the effectiveness of the Mid-Day Meal Scheme have revealed that regular intake of nutritious school meals boosts health, improves regularity to school and concentration in class, and improves performance in academic and co-curricular activities.

Aside from implementing the Mid-Day Meal Scheme to feed the children, Akshaya Patra time and again collaborates with reputed academic, arts and music, sports, and other philanthropic organisations to broaden the horizon and support aspirations of its beneficiaries. Recently, Akshaya Patra has collaborated with BYJU’s that will bridge the digital divide and enable accessibility to quality education free of cost for children hailing from economically weaker sections. When donors donate to NGO or when organisations collaborate as knowledge partners, they directly impact the development and lives of the beneficiaries. Below is a mention of a few girl beneficiaries who see their future in the field of science:

-          “I want to be a Doctor and provide free treatment to poor people”, says Sujita of Standard III, CPS Primary School, Silvassa, Daman.

-          “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”, says Roshni of Higher Primary School, Odisha.

-          “I want to become a Dentist, open my own clinic, and be counted among the top dentisits”, says Shyaali of Standard VIII, Ekaathmanagar School, Nagpur.

-          “I want to be a Nutritionist and educate people on proper meal planning and its role in keeping oneself free from diseases. I want to guide people on the importance of nutrition”, says Megha of Standard VII, GMHPS, Bellandur, Bengaluru.

On this International Day of Women and Girls in Science, step in to support health and education of girl children. Donate to NGO and become an enabler of dreams. Step in now to feed the children with nutritious meals on each school day. Your donation will create an empowered generation and will reward you with tax exemption too (applicable for donations of ₹500 and above).

Contribute To The Society By Starting A Virtual Fundraising Campaign

 

Day in and day out, we hear and read about issues that blocks our society from making optimum progress. We also hear about individuals and organisations that are working to counter those obstacles and transform lives of direct beneficiaries and uplift the society as a whole. The inclination and commitment of such individuals and organisations reinstate that ‘giving back to society’ is not only a moral duty, but a social responsibility too.

How much to give?

Almost all of us would like to contribute to some or the other social initiative, and many of us are doing so already. In the space of charity, each contribution matters. Just like every drop of water makes the ocean, every donation facilitates the work of charitable organisations. For instance, if we are donating to a charitable organisation that strives to feed the hungry, they will be as much dependent on a ₹500 donation as on a ₹10,000 donation. What matters is ‘donate with all your heart’.

While we all want to be as generous as possible, there may be times when we may not be able to contribute the needed or desired funds. In such cases, online fundraising campaigns can be quite promising.

Get together for a cause

Charitable organisations and NGOs are highly dependent on donations to operate, sustain, and expand their work with the core objective of creating maximum impact. When you donate to NGO, you become a part of the solution, and when you encourage others to contribute, you become an inspiration. It is said ‘more the merrier’ and this notion perfectly fits when it is about doing good for the society. So, connect and collaborate with like-minded people to raise funds through virtual fundraising campaigns. 

Start a fundraising campaign 

A fundraising campaign is an effective way to spread awareness about a cause, garner support & maximise impact. Thanks to digitisation for opening up a better opportunity to create awareness and garner support from larger network of people from the across the world. We can create a campaign, promote it on various social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, etc. and call in for support. 

Almost all NGOs encourage online fundraising campaigns that can be created in just a few clicks. For instance, The Akshaya Patra Foundation, a reputed mid-day meal NGO in India provides a platform for supporters to conduct fundraising for their various feeding programmes. Akshaya Patra has been nourishing school children with nutritious meals for the past 21 years. Currently, it provides mid-day meals to 18,00,907 children on each school day across 58 locations in 13 States and 1 Union Territory. Akshaya Patra has always been in the forefront to provide food relief during crisis situations like natural disasters and COVID-19 pandemic. 

Some of the common reasons for supporters to start campaigns for Akshaya Patra are:

-          To celebrate special occasions like birthdays, wedding anniversaries, promotions, or any other important milestones in life.

-          To celebrate different festivals and commemorate important national & international days

-          To raise funds for Akshaya Patra’s Mid-Day Meal Programme to provide regular school meals to children & Relief Programmes to feed the hungry during natural disasters and more recently amid the COVID pandemic 

Akshaya Patra has kept the online fundraising process simple to support the efforts of campaigners. So, you can make an impact in just 3 steps.

1.      Create campaign - Sign in/register with required details & start your campaign.

2.      Ask for support - Create online & offline awareness. Share the campaign link on your Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, WhatsApp or talk about it in your network.

3.      Raise funds - Talk about the impact of donation & raise funds to support Akshaya Patra.

When you fundraise and donate to NGO like Akshaya Patra, you directly help in the organisation’s efforts to feed the hungry and ensure food security amid crisis situations. 

In conclusion, fundraising campaigns are a great way to create maximum impact by enabling people around you to participate in the upliftment and development of the entire society. Go ahead and start a campaign now!

Replenishing hope with Family happiness kits

 

Try taking a walk outside your house; how many lost faces do you see? So many faces speak of different problems at varying levels. Their problems might be plenty and grave but there is one thing common on their faces – the hope of a better time ahead.

When you feed the hungry people, have you seen the smile on their faces?

It is very genuine.

It is almost like they thank you for giving them food when they needed it the most.

During times like the COVID pandemic, many people are struggling with saving money in case another lockdown is enforced to curb the spread of the virus. With the little money they have, they are not able to feed the hungry stomachs of their families and children.

In the 2021 Global Hunger Index, India ranks 101^st out of the 116 countries.

This year, it slipped from its rank of 94 last year, in 2020. 

What does this mean?

It means that the level of hunger in India is yet termed as ‘serious.’ According to FAO, 189.2 million people of India are undernourished. This also means that an alarming 14% of the population is undernourished.

 On an everyday basis, people have faced deprivation of basic nutritional needs and the pandemic has only worsened the lives of vulnerable people’s situation further.

 To help these marginalised sections of society with essentials, groceries and hygiene items during the consecutive waves of the pandemic, the government of India has partnered with various non-profit organisations to provide essential survival kits, family happiness kits and other food and hygiene kits.

 Good nutrition is essential for health, especially during times when the body’s immune system needs to fight various diseases and viruses. Though maintaining a healthy diet could turn out expensive for most of us trying to strike a balance between needs and wants, it is not too difficult to eat a diet that supports good health. Neither is it difficult to support the health of others.

 Support families with your help

Why should you help people who suffer? The answer is pretty straightforward – because we as human beings cannot turn a blind eye towards their sufferings. And for the development of a nation, it is important that we all move towards collective empowerment without which an upward growth trajectory is difficult to achieve.

 The one reason why we should feed the hungry people is so that they can also survive along with their families and become capable enough to help others in need too. Thousands of NGOs have joined hands with the Government of India to serve these people in need; one such organisation is The Akshaya PatraFoundation.

Akshaya Patra’s primary cause is to feed school children by serving them mid-day meals. However, the Foundation also feeds people in need when the situation calls for help.

 Apart from serving locally palatable meals to 1.8 million children every day, Akshaya Patra has served meals to disaster struck victims during floods, earthquakes and the pandemic. Since the onset of the pandemic, this NGO in India has served a cumulative of 20.6-crore (206 million) meals by serving cooked and packaged meals and distributing happiness kits, family happiness kits, raksha kits and shakti kits to mid-day meal beneficiaries, their families, marginalised people and expectant mothers respectively.

 Gift people food and essentials with Akshaya Patra

Support people in need with your online donations to Akshaya Patra. You can provide food, ration, essentials, hygiene products and educational materials to people in need during this pandemic.

What is inside the Family Happiness Kit?

 

Your support to provide them with this kit helps them to be on a full stomach by cooking 120 meals for a family of four. So the next time you see people struggling for food, you know you can help them with Akshaya Patra. This Foundation feeds people who also live in inaccessible areas without food and shelter. Your contribution can bring hopes of better days ahead with healthy and nutritious meals.

Our Kitchens - Our Pride

 

The Akshaya Patra Foundation runs the world’s largest NGO run school meal programme spread across 13 states and 1 union territory of India. To help more children benefit with the mid-day meal programme, the organisation has constantly been trying to spread across different locations. 2 more kitchens have been added – namely Gadarpur and Puducherry kitchens.

Food pyramid for middle childhood

 A food pyramid guide helps improve the diet of children aged 2-6 years. Certain quantities of food are recommended for different types of food across age groups of children. Following a set amount of carbohydrates, dairy products, proteins, fat, etc. can help improve children’s health. The Akshaya Patra Foundation is an NGO providing midday meals to children that helps in their overall development – physical and cognitive. Since 2000, wholesome and locally palatable meals are provided to nourish children from low-income sections and it feeds 1.8 million children every day.

How can Section 80G benefit you?

 

Charitable organisations give a platform for you to engage in humanitarian services as well as appreciates your noble work by making you eligible for tax exemption too.

Non-profit and charitable organisations work at the ground level to serve underprivileged communities in a sustainable way. This makes the service of NPOs, NGOs, and charitable organisations impactful and tangible, paving way for lasting change. The work of charitable organisations includes socio-environmental issues such as empowerment, equality, healthcare, education, poverty, hunger, climate change, water conservation, animal welfare, etc. These organisations greatly depend on the support of donors and sponsors for monetary aid to carry out their operations and expand their reach. To encourage individuals and for-profit organisations to support the efforts of NGOs, the government has made the provision of tax exemption donation.

No matter which country you are a citizen of, you have to pay tax to the government if you are salaried or self-employed individual or run a business. The tax collected by the government is utilised for healthcare, public utility services, management of defence forces, and various welfare projects for the citizens. As per the tax policies in India, you can receive exemption from paying taxes based on certain investment criterions such as housing loan, life insurance, medical insurance, etc. In addition, upon donating to charitable organisations, you can also become eligible to receive tax exemption as per the Section 80G of the Income Tax Act of India. While this provision clearly reinstates the importance of ‘giving back to the society’ and supports philanthropic contributions, it is important that as a donor you must ensure that the NGO you are donating to is a registered organisation and is eligible to provide you tax exemption. You must also note that depending on the cause and work of the charitable organisations, you may either receive 100% exemption or 50% exemption on your donated amount.

When you donate, it helps the beneficiary NGO in its operations and makes a positive impact in the lives of the beneficiaries of the NGO or on the mission of the NGO. 

But did you know that Section 80G has multiple benefits for you too!

·      First, it makes you eligible to receive tax exemption.
·      Second, it upholds the values of compassion and generosity,
·      Third, it facilitates the action of ‘giving back to the society’. 
·      Fourth, it makes you a part of the solution.
·      Fifth, as you participate in the upliftment and welfare initiatives, it makes you the ‘agent of change’.

As is said, ‘every drop makes the ocean’, similarly, every bit of your support adds to the larger good of the society along with qualifying your contribution for tax exemption donation. Among many NGOs, The Akshaya Patra Foundation is one charity that is known for its 21 years of relentless service, financial transparency, and credibility. This is one of the most reputed mid-day meal NGOs in India nourishing 18,00,907 children studying in 19,039 government and government-aided schools across 58 locations in 13 States and 1 Union Territory.

Your contribution to this non-profit organisation makes the much-needed mid-day meals available to children on each school day. This greatly contributes to their nutrition requirement, health, and education. The meals promote better concentration, improves attendance and reduces drop-out rate. Regular schooling enables children to step towards their aspirations with added enthusiasm, determination, and confidence. As Akshaya Patra is a registered charity, your contribution of ₹500 and above qualifies for tax exemption donation too.

In conclusion, when you spare a moment to donate to NGO, you make a huge difference in the society. So, nurture your philanthropic self and get rewarded for your good deed in the form of tax exemption!

Let your benevolence reach its destination by donating a delivery van

 

The midday meal scheme is one of the most potential interventions of the Government of India to support education of children belonging to socio-economically challenging backgrounds. Through this scheme, children studying in government schools and government-aided schools receive nutritious lunch at school, every day. The midday meals not only satiate their hunger, but also plays a crucial role in providing required nutrition as well as increases enrolment rate, improves regularity to school, decreases drop-out rate, boosts concentration and performance of children.

Akshaya Patra’s role in midday meal programme

One of the pioneer mid-day meal NGOs, The Akshaya Patra Foundation has been serving school children with nutritious meals for 21 years. It operates in a Public Private Partnership model to maximise the impact of the school meal programme. The Foundation implements the midday meal scheme in partnership with the Central Government of India, State Governments, and Administration of Union Territories. It receives support from individual donors, corporates, and well-wishers.

Akshaya Patra understands the significant role of mid-day meals for school children. As a responsible meal provider, it leaves no stone unturned to make sure that children receive their daily share of nutritious meals at school. This mid-day meal NGO in India is known for its commitment, meticulous processes, state-of-the-art, hi-tech, mega kitchens located across India, and seamless meal delivery system. At present, Akshaya Patra nourishes 18,00,907 children studying in 19,039 government and aided schools in 58 locations of 13 States and 1 Union Territory.

How Akshaya Patra implements the meal programme?

-          To implement the midday meal scheme, Akshaya Patra adheres to industry standard operating processes, meal nutrition guidelines as recommended by Central Mid-Day Meal Scheme, and ensures complete hygiene and quality.

-          To benefit maximum children, Akshaya Patra operates centralised kitchens in urban and semi-urban areas, and decentralised kitchens in remote locations. The centralised kitchens are large mechanised facilities with 20 kitchens being ISO certified and two kitchens being OHSAS certified. The decentralised kitchens are run by women self-help groups under the supervision of Akshaya Patra’s quality manager.

-          Akshaya Patra takes utmost care in preparation of the meals - right from procurement of raw materials to delivery of the meals to schools. It ensures highest level of hygiene, quality and nutrition by following processes such as Food Safety Management System, Supplier Quality Management System, Quality Assurance Programme, standardised recipes, personal hygiene and safety gear, food safe stainless steel and sanitised kitchen equipment and vessels.

-          To make sure children relish their meals as well as receive adequate nutrition, Akshaya Patra follows a cyclic and locally palatable menu in adherence to the standard dietary norms.

-          The cooked meals are packed in insulated stainless steel vessels and are delivered to schools in customised delivery vans.

Why Akshaya Patra seeks your support?

The Foundation is cognisant of the critical need for school meals and the resources required to fulfil the objectives of the programme. This humongous programme demands involvement of all sections of the society - government, businesses, individuals, and implementing organisations.

AkshayaPatra has always been humbled at the support it has received over the years that has allowed the Foundation to benefit over 18 lakhs children as mentioned earlier. Well-aware of the impact strong partnerships can create, Akshaya Patra provides a platform and encourages individuals and businesses to step in to support the school meal programme. Some of the many ways to get involved with Akshaya Patra are:

·         Contribute online donation

·         Conduct fundraising campaigns

·         Become a CSR partner

·         Become a goodwill ambassador

·         Become a knowledge partner

·         Volunteer

Akshaya Patra strives to ensure children are served with nutritious food every day. Be a part of their endeavour. Donate a van and assure children of their much-needed daily school meals. Your donation will not only deliver midday meals, but also days full of health and joy!