Jabs and more - My take from the vaccination camp

 

I gobbled up my last bite of dosa.

I was extremely nervous.

My anxiety was very evident on my face.

 As I took a deep breath to calm myself down, a few questions crossed my mind – will we all be safe, what if I contract the virus, will there be takers for the vaccine, will other NGOs working for covid relief rope in our takers, do we have enough kits for everyone, etc.

The vaccination drive at Jigani kitchen was a 20-day event. And this was just day one.

I rushed to the location and reached at 8 in the morning on 10^th January 2022. This was the first time I was attending the vaccination drive at The Akshaya Patra Foundation’s Jigani kitchen. As I parked my bike, I was surprised to see that people had already started lining up to get their jabs. As I helped my colleagues put up banners and posters, I saw many more people joining the queue. I was impressed with how many people had turned up. I thought to myself,

So many people need the vaccinations but are unable to pay and get inoculated.

Suddenly there was a sense of pride in me for being associated with Akshaya Patra. It is not too long since I joined this organisation, but there is a sense of satisfaction that I am working with an organisation that helps people in need. Many organisations help in different ways but this one was different. Akshaya Patra was one organisation that did its best to support poor people; it helped the COVID 19 donation from donors reach the people in need.

As I put up the last set of posters on the road turning, an old man stopped by and asked me in Kannada, “Yen poster idu?” (what poster is this). I informed him that there was a COVID vaccination drive where he would get free ration and other essentials free of cost.

The conversation then continued.

Old man: Yaaru maadtha irodu? (who is organising this camp?)

Me: Akshaya Patra. Kelidira? (Heard of it?)

Old man: Illa. Yaaru avru? (Who is it?)

Me: Adu ondu sansthe. (It is an organisation).

Old man: COVID alli ee thara thumba sansthegalu nodidini. (I have seen many NGOs working for COVID relief)

Me: Idu aa thara sansthe alla.

He was all ears. So, I continued to tell him why this organisation is different.

(The essence of what I spoke in Kannada is translated below)

Akshaya Patra feeds 1.8 million underprivileged children with mid-day meals every day since 2000. It provides nutritious meals to support the health, education and nutrition of children coming from challenging socio-economic backgrounds. During the pandemic, this NGO in India has also started feeding the population in need. It has served a cumulative of 20-crore meals with the help of COVID 19 donations to carpenters, labourers, ambulance drivers, gravediggers, old people, orphans, blind people, etc.

It looked like I had gained the trust of the old man. He said he will get his family in a while for the vaccination. A sense of satisfaction for helping someone in need rose in my heart. I quickly walked back to the camp. It was almost 11 am. People were swarming outside the entrance.

I spoke to the first few people lined up outside the kitchen. A few of them had heard about the vaccination camp and had lined up in the night, I was shocked to hear their story.

Some of these beneficiaries had been waiting since 2.30 in the night. They had carried their blankets along with them to help them stay warm through the night.

The security had started checking temperatures and providing sanitisers to all the entrants. As soon as these checks were done, they would be guided to the waiting area after which they would move to the section where their documents would be verified and the date of their last vaccination would be confirmed. These people would be directed to a room where they would receive the jab.

The best thing about Akshaya Patra is that nobody is allowed to leave immediately after the vaccination. Each person will be asked to wait for 10 minutes, receive medical attention if needed, handed over a cooked meal packed in a container, gets a refreshment drink and then receives a kit called the Raksha Kit. Only after they receive these items will they be able to leave.

As I was helping an old woman enter the premises, a woman aged around 50, walked in seeking help. Her 82-year-old mother was partially blind and could hardly walk. She requested to me if she could get the jab that day. I verified the documents she carried and checked with my team members if we could help them.

The Akshaya Patra Team accompanied the 50-year-old woman to vaccinate her and her 82-year-old partially blind mother at their house.

After their vaccination, we handed over their share of refreshment, packed meal and the Raksha Kit that would help them cook 21 servings of meals. Happiness reverberated in their house that day.

Though today was a hectic day, there was a sense of satisfaction that filled my heart; so many people were vaccinated and benefitted by this NGO in India that I am a part of. Many such vaccination camps will be organised in the next few months in Delhi, Bengaluru, etc. If you like to make a COVID 19 donation, consider donating to Akshaya Patra as it is an NGO registered under Section 12A (a) of the Income Tax Act, 1961.

With your donations to Akshaya Patra’s Raksha Kits, you help a low-income person get jabbed while you gain 50% tax exemption on your contribution INR 1500. Don’t think I am saying this because I am an Akshaya Patra employee, but as a concerned citizen. Support this organisation so that people in need are benefitted and we can make India a COVID-free nation soon.

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!

5 things that change when girls are educated

 

Hamsa was very cautious not to make any noise. She whispered to her mother while she boiled the rice for lunch, saying “Amma! Donga (Robber).” She wondered which robber would want to rob them since they don’t have anything expensive. A voice reminded her of what was taught in her school in Telangana, why should anyone rob in the first place? This small lesson changed her vision and mission of life.

A mid-day meal beneficiary, 14-year-old Hamsa from Telangana wants to be a Police Officer.

Oprah Winfrey said, “When you educate a girl, you begin to change the face of the nation.” And this saying has meaning to it because when you educate a woman, she becomes able and independent thereby raising self-reliant citizens. Provide food for education of a girl child, she will feed herself, her family, her community and the entire country. 

5 things that change when you educate a girl child

1.    Educated girls make informed decisions about marriage

Researchers from the International Centre for Research on Women and the World Bank found a strong relationship with educating a girl and her marriage. This means that when a girl receives constant education, she will make a conscious decision of when she wants to marry and that usually avoids child marriage.

The study also shows that educated girls tend to have lesser children and choose to bear children at a later stage of life. 

2.    Educated girls bring economic stability to their family

Generally, a working woman knows how to run her house and how much is needed to do so. When you educate a girl at a young age, she becomes aware of the importance of saving money. When she learns to save as a young woman, she learns how to allocate her budget and manage expenses for the long term. 

3.    Educated girls support the education of others

When you educate a girl child, she becomes aware of the benefits of education as she grows up into an adult. She in turn takes a stand to educate her children equally, irrespective of their gender. 

4.    Education improves a girl’s health and her family’s health

Education that involves basic education along with sexual education makes them aware of sexually transmitted diseases and adolescent pregnancies. Education helps them with critical thinking, decision-making skills, responsibilities and also reinforces gender equality. These children also seek healthcare for themselves and their families. 

5.    Education gives wings to a girl’s dreams

When a girl is educated, she becomes aware that her dreams can also come true. Education is the medium that catapults them to a brighter future. An educated girl becomes an empowered woman who has the capacity to steer her life, her community and the world too. 

Role of NGOs in empowering girls

There are thousands of non-profit organisations that work towards educating girl children and making their lives better. The role of NGOs includes a wide range of opportunities that help empower them with food and education. Some NGOs help girl children by:

Ø  Freely living their life with a sense of self-worth, respect and dignity.

Ø  Having equal rights to participate in religious, social and public activities,

Ø  Having equal social status in the society as men

Ø  Having equal rights for economic and social justice

Ø  Determining financial choices

Ø  Getting equal opportunity for education and employment without any gender bias

Ø  Getting a safe and comfortable working environment 

Akshaya Patra – an NGO in India that cares for girl children

TheAkshaya Patra Foundation is an NGO in India that is recognised for running the world’s largest NGO-run school meal programme. By providing nutritious mid-day meals to support food for education for both boys and girls, it brings gender equality in the minds of young children. Locally palatable meals are served to them so that there is no wastage of food.

During the times of the pandemic and when schools remain closed in some states, the Foundation also provides Happiness Kits to them. Every girl child receives immunity boosters that support her health, hygiene essentials like sanitary pads and soap along with activity books that will keep them occupied and not lose touch with studies. 

Let’s support girl children as they also deserve to dream and achieve as they grow up from being educated girls to empowered women. 

Make an online donation to support an organisation to help them expand their operations to reach out to more girl children because an empowered girl means an empowered nation. 

If more information is needed on tax benefits of donating under section 80g of income tax act click here

Together we can fight COVID

 

The first wave, second wave, vaccinations and many more waves of the pandemic might come and go. A few important things we take away from it:

·         It has changed our economy and lives drastically

·         It has thrown limelight on the labour class and working forces

·         It has made us realise the importance of essential services

·         It has taught us that saving for an unforeseen circumstance is necessary

·         It has taught us that work can be done from anyplace with the help of technology

·         It has brought forth many individuals who support an NGO for COVID relief services

 

Our energy, emotions and attention have all been diverted to self-care and care of family and relatives. During these times of aloofness come a plethora of thoughts that we dwell upon. This is the time when we assess all the changes that have taken place and reflect upon ourselves.

 

·         How can I extend my kindness?

·         How can I help people in distress?

·         I have everything I need in life, others suffer. How can I uplift them?

 

All citizens came together to fight the pandemic by making food donation in India to people in need. While some supported by providing food assistance, others helped by providing monetary aid while others provided medical facilities.

Did you know?

During the 2^nd wave of the pandemic, India received help from 52 countries.

All across the globe, people have always helped their fellow beings in their own little way. Some of them even went a step ahead by cooking food in their kitchens while others chose to stay at the safety of their home and make online donations.

 

Help in the fight against COVID

·         Protecting yourself and others

The most important thing to do is keep yourself safe by adhering to norms given by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare like masking up, maintaining social distance, avoiding travelling unnecessarily, etc. Follow quarantine protocols and follow safety guidelines to stop the spreading of the virus at home.

 

·         Donating money

Millions of people have lost their jobs due to the pandemic. Without any savings to support themselves and their families, they are suffering without any money and with bills piling up for payment. All that these people need is monetary help from generous donors who are fortunate not to be affected by the pandemic or the lockdown.

 

·         Donating food

People from low-income sections of society neither have money to buy provisions, food essentials or ration to help them sustain during the pandemic nor do they have the essentials to help them. Some of them do not even have a home to get shelter under.

 

Apart from directly helping by doing any of the three above statements, you can also support an NGO for COVID relief services. There are thousands of non-governmental organisations that support by providing food donation in India. You can support such organisations by donating money to them or by raising funds to help them in carrying out their operations.

 

Support with your food donation in India

The Akshaya Patra Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation that has been into serving food for school children coming from challenging socio-economic backgrounds for the last 21 years. It runs the world’s largest school lunch programme by providing mid-day meals in 19,039 Government and Government-aided schools.

The Foundation serves locally palatable meals that are hygienically prepared by adhering to safety norms from its 58 centralised kitchens and 2 decentralised kitchens. Apart from serving meals to children, Akshaya Patra also provides free cooked meals to people in need during the COVID pandemic with the help of its supporters, the Government of India and the District as well as State authorities. With its feeding initiatives, the organisation supports construction-site workers, labourers, homeless people, pregnant women, grave-diggers, auto-rickshaw drivers, ambulance drivers, nurses, patient caretakers, aged women, orphans etc. Support this NGO for COVID relief services to help them support more low-income individuals and families.

 

Akshaya Patra serves school meals every day to 1.8 million children of 14 states and 2 union territories of India

 

When individuals and NGOs join hands, it is easy to provide relief to people in need. You never know which family can survive with your contribution. Provide cooked meals or ration, hygiene products, education supplies and other essentials to support marginalised families.

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.

Fighting an emerging crisis: Elderly & Homeless

Homelessness is a serious problem across the world. It is a concern faced by both developing and developed countries. Though the definition of homelessness differs across countries, the United Nations Economic and Social Council Statement broadly defines it as, ‘When we are talking about housing, we are not just talking about four walls and a roof. The right to adequate housing is about security of tenure, affordability, access to services and cultural adequacy. It is about protection from forced eviction and displacement, fighting homelessness, poverty and exclusion.’

Homelessness in India

In India, homelessness is defined as, ‘those who do not live in Census houses, but rather stay on pavements, roadsides, railway platforms, staircases, under flyovers, streets, in hume pipes, or other open spaces like places of worship etc.’ India ranks 6^th among top 10 countries with significant homeless population and has the highest number of street children in the world. The other countries being Nigeria, Egypt, Indonesia, China, Haiti, Zimbabwe, Honduras, Germany, and United States. According to Census 2011, there are 17.7 lakhs homeless people in India with urban areas having the highest concentration of more than 9 lakhs homeless people.

Homelessness is one of the worst kinds of human rights violation. It not only deprives people of shelter, but also compromises their safety. Homelessness also limits accessibility to food, healthcare, well-being, employment opportunities, and education. The homeless population consists of men, women, mothers, the elderly, and the disabled. There are many NGOs in India that address different needs of the homeless population. Some organisations feed the needy, some provide necessary items like clothes, blankets, etc. and yet others work towards making healthcare, education, and employment opportunities available for this section of people.

Homeless women, in particular, are the most vulnerable and suffer the worst kind of violence and exploitation. Homeless mothers spend sleepless nights while safeguarding their children, especially daughters. In addition, there are also 40 million widowed women in India who are abandoned by their families and children. Among the widows are single mothers, pregnant women, and aged women.

Akshaya Patra’s intervention

In an effort to ensure homeless mothers receive their daily share of healthy meals, The Akshaya Patra Foundation, an NGO in India has stepped in to provide food relief. At present, the Foundation is providing food to thousands of homeless mothers in Vrindavan. On an average, a moderately active women should consume 1800-2200 calories per day. To meet this requirement, Akshaya Patra provides freshly prepared, nutritious, and hygienic meals everyday to homeless mothers. These meals support their health and also instils a sense of ‘being cared for’.

Akshaya Patra is a reputed mid-day meal NGO in India. It has been nourishing school children with nutritious meals for the past 21 years. Akshaya Patra provides mid-day meals to 18,00,907 children on each school day across 58 locations in 13 States and 1 Union Territory. The Foundation has always contributed to food relief activities during crisis situations like natural disasters and COVID-19 pandemic.

Feed the needy homeless mothers with Akshaya Patra

In order to continue the feeding programme for homeless mothers, Akshaya Patra requires the help of donors and supporters. Every penny of NGO donations is an assurance that the beneficiary homeless mothers will receive their share of food every day. You can help Akshaya Patra in an instant by contributing an online donation at the click of a button. Your contribution will uphold dignity of the homeless mothers, support their health and give them the assurance of receiving nutritious food every day. Donate generously to feed the needy homeless mothers and spread the word about this feeding programme too.