Friday, 9 September 2022
This September, Stand Against Hunger
We are lucky!
We get to choose what we want
to eat and when.
But, for individuals coming
from families where being hungry and not getting food is a norm, they must
decide whether they can afford to eat or not.
For such people, it is a tough
choice to make between, food, electricity, water, medicine, education and other
needs.
“Nobody should be forced to make a choice to
go hungry,”
The whole month of September is celebrated as Hunger Action Month, where people across the world come together to support a movement to end hunger in all forms. With public and Government support, we can achieve unachievable tasks like helping these disadvantaged communities achieve long-term security so that they don’t have to choose between food and other things.
Feed to defeat hunger and all its forms
Over 828 million people suffer
from various forms of hunger. Food is a human right, but, does every individual
have the access to good food? The answer is NO! They suffer from hunger in
either of the levels detailed below:
Acute
Hunger
Acute hunger is a condition when a person is
undernourished over a definable. This is an extreme form of hunger that arises
during crises like the pandemic, wars, disasters, etc. This form of hunger
generally affects people who already suffer from chronic hunger.
Chronic
Hunger
Chronic hunger is a state of long-term
undernourishment. This form of hunger is generally associated with a lack of
sufficient funds for healthy and clean food along with water and/or healthcare.
This form of hunger is not condition-specific but is the most widespread form
of hunger across the globe as it is linked with poverty.
Hidden
Hunger
Hidden hunger is a form of chronic hunger that is a result of an unbalanced diet, where important nutrients like zinc, iron, iodine and vitamins are not present in the food consumed. Initially, these findings are not visible at first glance, however, over a long period, these nutrient deficiencies lead to long-term illnesses.
This Hunger Action Month, feed the needy people with an NGO in India that takes care of all the nutritional requirements of an individual, be it an infant, toddler, teenager or adult.
Hunger and Poverty – A vicious circle
Feed underprivileged people, so that they know the importance of food, get educated in order to earn and fend for themselves and their families so that they can get good and healthy food to eat. It is an unending circle that can be broken only by wholesome meals.
Feed to defeat hunger with Akshaya Patra
The Akshaya Patra Foundation is an NGO in India that has dedicated itself to feeding wholesome meals to school children coming from underprivileged backgrounds and studying in Government and Government-aided schools of India. By working in partnership with various Governments, District Authorities, volunteers and its donor family, the organisation has been actively involved in various feeding initiatives since 2000.
During this Hunger Action Month, Akshaya Patra has taken to feeding mid-day meal beneficiaries under the PM POSHAN Abhiyaan, homeless mothers, people living in night shelters, expecting and nursing mothers and disaster-struck victims who are affected by floods, earthquakes, pandemics, etc.
Donate online to show your humanitarian side with your generosity
to feed people.
This September, let’s make food
accessible to everyone. Together, we can make Zero Hunger possible by feeding
to eliminate all forms of hunger.
Monday, 7 March 2022
Taking Care Of Pregnant Women With Shakti Kits
Summary: Aside from providing nutritious meals to school
children, The Akshaya Patra Foundation has also undertaken the initiative to
nourish pregnant women. They provide essential nutrient-rich food items and
masks for protection against COVID-19.
Body of
content: Pregnancy is a beautiful and sensitive phase in a woman’s life. It
requires personal attention and care, timely check-up with doctor, and adequate
nutrition to ensure a healthy pregnancy. While a section of the society is
privileged to meet these needs, there is another section that struggles for the
same. This section of women is deprived of even something as basic as
nutritious food that is critical during this phase. There are many NGOs who are
addressing the needs of women belonging to the socio-economically weaker
sections of the society. While fulfilling the role
of NGO in the mid-day meal sector, The Akshaya
Patra Foundation extended its service to benefit pregnant women too.
About The Akshaya Patra Foundation
The Akshaya Patra Foundation is an NGO in India implementing the Mid-Day Meal Programme
since 2000. During the past 21 years, it has been constantly expanding its
reach to benefit more and more school children. From providing school meals in
just Bangalore in 2000, it now nourishes children across 60 locations in 14
States and 2 Union Territories. The Foundation has a beneficiary base of
18,00,907 children studying in 19,039 government schools and government-aided
schools.
How is Akshaya Patra helping pregnant women?
Alongside fulfilling the role of NGO in nourishing school children, Akshaya
Patra has undertaken Anganwadi Feeding Programme too. Through this programme,
the Foundation aims to provide adequate and right nutrition during the
foundation years of growth and development. It has been nourishing 1,35,612
young children aged 3 to 6 years in 5,928 Anganwadi Centres in 10 locations of
four states namely Gujarat, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana. The
Foundation is providing nutritious food to 3,660 pregnant women and lactating
mothers in 323 Anganwadi Centres in Jaipur.
What is Shakti Kit?
This programme is an initiative of The
Akshaya Patra Foundation that is focussed to provide nutritional support topregnant women hailing from socio-economically weaker sections. As an initial
step, in order to improve nutritional status of pregnant women, Akshaya Patra
has partnered with Government of Karnataka. Under this partnership, Akshaya
Patra is currently providing Shakti Kits to 50,000 pregnant women in the state.
Each Shakti Kit contains:
·
Malt-based protein mix
·
Protein porridge mix
·
Dhatri Loha (Ayurvedic immunity builder)
·
Pulses, peanuts, and green moong
·
Turmeric powder
·
Double fortified salt
·
10 masks
Consumption of healthy, nutritious food
is vital during pregnancy. It not only impacts the woman, but also the
development of the child. Nutritious food also contributes to immunity which is
much-needed to protect against diseases and any potential health risks. It is observed
that consumption of balanced and nutrient-rich meals lowers the risk of
congenital diseases and nutrition deficiencies in the new born babies. Each Shakti Kit is thus packed with food items rich in
essential nutrients, so that expecting mothers have a healthy pregnancy and
welcome a healthy baby.
Your support is needed
As an NGO in India, The
Akshaya Patra Foundation is doing their bit to provide a foundation for a
healthy generation through mid-day meals, Anganwadi feeding, and nutrition kit
for expecting mothers. However, to continue these services, it requires your support.
You can instantly be a part of their mission by contributing an online
donation. You can also multiply your impact by conducting a fundraising
campaign to support Akshaya Patra.
The best part is, while
your contribution impacts and transforms lives of beneficiaries, it also
rewards you with tax exemption. Every time you donate ₹500 or above, you become
eligible to receive tax exemption under Section 80G of the Indian Income TaxAct. So, go ahead, do good, receive goodwill and tax exemption, and create a
better world!
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.
Tuesday, 15 February 2022
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.
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 10th 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.
Wednesday, 9 February 2022
Hope Stories Of 3 Children – A Reflection Of The Impact Of Mid-Day Meals
The Mid-Day Meal Programme has been one of the most crucial and
impactful initiatives in the education sector. The main objective of this programme
is to feed the children with nutritious meals, improve their health and support their education.
Akshaya Patra’s intervention
The Akshaya Patra Foundation, an Indian
mid-day meal NGO has been nourishing school children for the past 21 years. It is one of
the pioneers in implementing the Mid-Day Meal
Programme in partnership with the central
government, various state governments, and administrations of union
territories. Currently, it provides mid-day meals
to 18,00,907 children on each school day across 60 locations in 14 States and 2
Union Territories.
Even during the COVID-19 lockdown,
Akshaya Patra found a way to feed the
children. The Foundation started distributing Happiness
Kits to its beneficiaries across India. Each kit consisted nutritious food
items, learning materials and hygiene products.
Impact of mid-day meals
Mid-day meals have significantly boosted
enrolment, regular attendance, performance of children, and their overall
health. It has also contributed towards reduction in drop-out rate. Regularity
of mid-day meals and schooling improves health and instils a sense of
confidence in children respectively. Below are three stories that clearly
showcases the significance of Mid-Day Meal
Programme:
·
Sneha,
Standard VIII, MP Prathamika Pathashala, Telangana says, “I want to be a teacher who can mould children to become better human
beings and perform their duties well.” Her ambition stems from the hardships she has faced,
especially with a father who is an alcoholic. She voices out firmly that her
father’s irresponsibility towards the family resulted in innumerable
difficulties. And she opines that nobody should be like her father who leaves
their family to suffer. After years of silently suffering, Sneha received
support from her teachers and friends who helped her to take a firm stand
against her father. For her, school is like a haven where she finds the peace
that is missing at home, and the school meals are her energy boosters. She loves
to eat with her friends and vegetable sambar and rice are her favourite.
·
Prajesh,
CPS Gujarati Medium School, Daman says, “I want make India a better place. I
want to become a Prime Minister like Narendra Modi.” When Prajesh’s family
shifted from Surat to Daman, his main worry was whether the schools in Daman
would be as good as the one he was studying in currently. So, on day one, when
he went to his new school in Daman, his first question to the teacher was “How
is the education here?” Not only was the teacher surprised, but she was also
glad to have found a promising student. Though Prajesh is a shy boy, yet he
doesn’t shy away from suggesting ideas to improve a situation or a process. He has
suggested a voting system to select head boy and head girl of the school. He
also actively participated in the election campaign of the village head in his
locality. While he is getting used to his new home, school, and friends, he
says, “Since I come
from Bareilly, I did not like the food here earlier, but now, I love it because
of Akshaya Patra. I feel it is very similar to what I used to have in Surat. My
favourite is roti and subzi.”
·
Sujita,
Standard III, CPS Primary School, Silvassa, Daman says, “I want to be a
doctor and provide free treatment to poor people.” Sujita lives with her
grandparents and had been waiting for her parents until recently when are
grandfather revealed the hard truth. He told Sujita, “Your father had left you
with us after your mother remarried. And since then, none of your parents have
come to see you.” A young child, but with a strong heart, Sujita accepted the
reality and always puts up a smile that hides all her struggles. Witnessing the
difficulties her grandfather underwent to get treatment for her grandmother,
she decided to become a doctor so that she can provide free treatment to poor
people.
Step in to support
When you provide mid-day meal, you not
only feed thechildren, but also facilitate their education an
enable them to achieve their ambitions. Step in to support the efforts of this NGO in India by instantly contributing an online donation. Your contribution
will create an empowered generation and will avail you tax exemption too
(applicable for donations of ₹500 and above).
Friday, 21 January 2022
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 101st
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.
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.
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.
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.
Friday, 7 January 2022
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 6th 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.
