Celebrate Dhanteras with a tinge of goodness

 

Dhanteras is a much-awaited festival for Hindus in India as it is called the day of wealth. The word ‘Dhan’ means wealth and ‘Teras’ means the thirteenth day of the Hindu moon cycle. This auspicious day falls on the thirteenth day in the month of ‘Karthika maasa’ on the day of Karthika Krishna Paksha as per the Hindu calendar. This day marks the beginning of the five-day-long festival of Diwali or Deepavali.

Dhanteras or Dhantrayodashi is believed to be the day Goddess Lakshmi emerged as a result of the churning of the ocean (Samudra Manthan). On this day, people pray to the Goddess for a long life filled with wealth, health and prosperity of their whole family. It is a general ritual of buying new things and purchasing valuables suggesting that the Goddess has entered the home herself.

Significance of Dhanteras

Several stories revolve around why Dhanteras is celebrated and what the significance is in different parts of the country. One popular one is that of Dhantrayodashi. Apart from this, there is a story of celebrating Yama Trayodashi. According to a legend, King Hima’s son who was 16 years old, was predicted of dying from a snake bite after four days of his wedding. The prince’s wife did not let him sleep on the third night, lit lamps and laid out all the jewels, gold coins, etc. outside her husband’s sleep chamber. The young princess kept him awake by singing songs and narrating stories. That night, when Lord Yama came in the form of a snake, the light from the jewels and the lamps blinded him. He wasn’t able to enter the chamber, hence sat on the pile of coins and listened to the stories and songs. And, the next morning, he went away without taking Hima’s son. 

According to Bhagavatha Purana, Lord Dhanvatari – the originator of Ayurveda appeared with Amrit – the elixir of life, during the churning of the ocean, on this very day.

This day holds more significance as a day where new replaces old.

Similarly, we should clear our minds of all the negativity and fill ourselves with good thoughts and kindness to either donate to feed the children who are hungry or to take care of homeless people. Thousands of people and little children stay hungry trying to make ends meet. For them, every single day is a day of struggle between food and other necessities.  

To support such parents who struggle to feed and educate their children, NGOs sponsor their meals and education with the help of online donations or in-kind donations from their supporters. These non-profit organisations implement various programmes that are a part of the Government’s beneficial schemes like the Mid-DayMeal Scheme under the PM Poshan Abhiyaan for children and the Anganwadi scheme for pregnant and lactating mothers under the Integrated Child Development Services. 

One such not-for-profit organisation is The Akshaya Patra Foundation which works on a Public-Private-Partnership model to provide mid-day meals to school-going children under the PM POSHAN Abhiyaan. With various individual donors, corporate partners who donate to feed the children and strong support from various Governments, the NGO cooks and serves locally palatable meals to eliminate classroom hunger.

Akshaya Patra is a 21-year-old NGO that feeds meals to 20,10,516 children in 22,367 schools across 65 locations in 14 states & 2 union territories of India. 

What can you achieve by supporting Akshaya Patra?

By contributing to Akshaya Patra to provide nutritious meals to children studying in Government and Government-aided schools, you support in:

• ·         Nourishing children and taking care of their nutritional status
• ·         Giving children a chance to get educated by giving them a reason to come to school
• ·         Helping children concentrate in class so that they improve their scores
• ·         Reducing the chances of school dropout rates
• ·         Giving children the hope that they too can dream to achieve something they thought they could never achieve.

Can you imagine the smiles on their faces when they get these meals and also get an opportunity to achieve more in life? It is priceless!

So this Dhanteras, make way for new thoughts. Wish the best for children by giving them a future filled with health and dreams.

May you and your family be blessed with abundance!

Happy Dhanteras!

NGOs – A critical link for social change

 

Drive around the city and you may see people living completely different lives on the roadside—people with no qualms in tattered clothes, tents with holes, discoloured hair and undernourished bodies. 

The Government frequently releases schemes and programmes for their welfare. The problem lies in their reach into remote areas and their ground-level execution.

Ever wondered what created the gap in the first place? 
Do they not deserve access to resources just because they are born into low-income families?
Is there anyone listening to their calls for help?

Let's look at the phenomenon of globalisation and the idea of development to answer these questions.  

Industrialisation, Urbanisation and Globalisation

The 19th century saw tremendous advances in transportation and communication. The resulting Industrial Revolution eased trade across borders. Businesses reached new heights by expanding their supply chains internationally. It allowed them to amass incredible amounts of wealth and strengthen the economic positions of their countries.

Eventually, corporations and the better-off sections of the population went further up the economic ladder while the marginalised were exploited for labour. Subsequently, they lost access to basic rights and resources, thus widening the gap between the wealthy and the disadvantaged even further.

With such fast-paced industrial progress, even our natural environment began suffering, resulting in the mass destruction of both, flora and fauna. Pollution and depletion of resources questioned the future of upcoming generations and the misuse of capital by a small privileged section of humanity.

The Dawn of Realisation

Around the late 20th century, a conscious of equality for all grew. The idea of development gradually changed from urbanisation and exploitation to sustainable development. People started caring not only for all of humanity but also for the wildlife we took for granted till now. The focus diverted to working for environmental protection and guarding the rights of those who remained suppressed for decades. 

Subsequently, NGOs sprung up to accomplish the global aims of “ending poverty, protecting the planet and improving the lives and prospects of everyone, everywhere.”

NGOs – Heroes of the Modern World

Non-Government Organisations or NGOs are voluntary citizen groups that emerged around 40 years ago. Ever since, they have been crucial to 

• advocate welfare and humanitarian assistance
• create awareness about ongoing problems and change the outlook of society
• check on activities of the Government and private entities 
• research, plan, mobilise people and work with local authorities for the execution of welfare schemes at the grassroots level
• collaborate at local, national and international levels

One of the most notable characteristics of NGOs is acting consistently for long-term results. That is why there are many established NGOs in India that the Government recognises as its implementing partners today.

Corporate Social Responsibility

In April 2014, India became the first country to make Corporate Social Responsibility mandatory. Hence, the growing need for businesses to undertake CSR initiatives further boosted NGO activities in the country. They either sent employee groups to volunteer at NGOs in India or donate a portion of their profits to fund welfare programmes. In any case, this significantly boosted people’s participation in social change.

Tax Exemption

The Central Governments made provisions for people to motivate them to donate. For instance, a section under the Income Tax Act provided a percentage of tax exemption if citizens donated to organisations qualifying under the act. In India, you can avail 50% or 100% tax exemption under Section 80G of the Income Tax Act by donating to a charitable organisation. 

Technology and NGOs

NGOs today are not what you may imagine as dull spaces with activists shouting slogans. They are well-versed with the latest technology and their use for the causes they support.

For instance, NGOs like Akshaya Patra, have been using hi-tech cooking mechanisms for 21 years to produce fresh meals for children while avoiding human touch. For the Akshaya Patra initiatives, they not only ensure hygiene while cooking but also produce huge amounts of fresh food for children.

Moreover, the kitchens adhere to Food Safety Management Systems which include sterilising all the cooking equipment with steam before preparing meals. They use food-safe SS 304 Grade vessels, conduct frequent training with the cooks and supervisors to ensure food hygiene, undertake pest control measures and check 'Critical Control Points' like cooking temperature etc.

Donate to NGOs

Since NGOs do not work for profit, they depend on backing from the Government and donors. One can contribute through online donations, fundraising campaigns or even volunteer with them online or offline.

This is true with Akshaya Patra as well. They started by serving fresh, nutritious and hygienic mid-day meals to children of Government schools. But today, years of consistent support from the Government of India and their donor family, they started other programmes for underprivileged people such as Anganwadi Feeding, Disaster Relief feeding, Homeless Mothers Feeding and so on.

Now you can also be a part of their change-maker community. Donate online individually or start a campaign for any of the Akshaya Patra initiatives. When you support their flagship programme PM POSHAN Abhiyaan with a contribution of INR 1500, you will nourish a child for an entire academic year.

Donate to feed the children from low-income and marginalised backgrounds
 for a healthy future of the nation.

Importance of Akshaya Patra's Nutritious Food for Children

Most of the kids these days are generally hooked up on junk food.

As a result of which, children land up eating smaller portions of nutritious food.

Peer pressure, TV commercials, roadside eateries and fried food create battles between parents and their children.

Importance of nutrition in children

Ensuring that children eat a well-balanced diet is crucial for their growth and development. Children constantly grow at a rapid rate outgrowing their clothes. What fits them today may not fit in the next 1 month or so. So be prepared to keep investing in good food and some clothes.

Nutrition can also help in establishing a strong foundation for healthy eating habits. These habits inculcated at a very young age will most likely be carried on to the adulthood stage too. This means that if you teach your child to eat carrots over finger chips, this habit may last throughout their lifetime.

Eating nutritious food also has another long-term effect on children. It helps in building immunity and resistance to nutrition-related diseases that can kick in early in the adulthood stages of life. For example, eating fried food frequently results in high cholesterol levels during early adulthood leading to further complications.

Understanding the importance of healthy meals at a very young age, it was necessary to make healthy meals accessible to children of all walks of life. For children who are privileged, healthy meals are easily accessible.

But, what about children who come from challenging backgrounds?

Can they afford healthy meals?

Meals are a huge ask in itself, healthy meals are beyond their affordability.

Then what is their next possible solution?

For most parents, sending children to Government schools means free food for children in school. These meals become the reason why parents don’t mind sending their children to school rather than pushing them to work as a helping hand to their family’s financial situation.

To encourage more parents to send their children to school, the Government of India made provisions under the PM POSHAN Abhiyaan to serve nutritious mid-day meals to children.

The Akshaya Patra Foundation is an NGO in India that implements the world’s largest school feeding programme.

Akshaya Patra is spread across 65 locations and caters to every day nutritional requirements of 1.8 million beneficiaries with mid-day meals. It caters to the local palates of children spread across 14 states and 2 union territories.

By providing unlimited food for education of children, this NGO in India supports the health and nutrition of children.

Children who initially do not value education, start coming to school to get education and realise the importance of studying and achieving. When they become regular at school, they feel that they too play an important in society.

Make an online donation to give wings to children, to make them realise that their dreams can come true too.

Supporting a Cause Is Always the Right Choice

 

The bell rang after a few hours of classes and the children joyfully rushed out, excited to have the best time of their day – lunchtime. The corridors were filled with the sounds of their chatter and laughter. That was the moment I realized….

…true joy is when you are the reason that someone else is happy.

 

My association with Akshaya Patra has only been for months. But ever since my first day with the Foundation, I have felt less anxious every day. 

Working for the benefit of those from low socio-economic backgrounds seems to align with the ultimate purpose of any human life. Seeing the smiling faces of children relishing their mid-day meals as an outcome of my work fills me with a sense of accomplishment that I had not experienced anywhere else.  

Gone are the days when people could support underprivileged communities only by being on the ground. Today, people can contribute towards a social cause even with their busy schedules through online donations!

Happiness beyond material success

Everyone seeks happiness. And often, even a hoard of material wealth does not seem to provide the contentment we seek. From my experience, it was clear that true bliss lays in the act of giving.

As Horace Jackson Brown Jr., an American author, said, “The happiest people are not those getting more, but those giving more.”

It is as simple as sharing your small successes with underprivileged individuals. And you can do so in multiple ways. These include:

• Distributing clothes, books and stationery
• Donating money
• Funding their ration
• Sponsoring children’s education 

Clothes, books and stationery can benefit the underprivileged for a short term. But supporting financially challenged children’s education and school meals can fight the root cause of their distress – illiteracy and malnourishment. 

Free education is incomplete without the proper nutrition that aids effective learning. 

Although education for children ensures that poverty doesn’t persist beyond the current generation, nutritious food fuels the physical and mental strength of children to efficiently learn, participate in events outside of school and pave a path for their growth in fields of their choice.

Food will help children fight both diseases and illiteracy that hinder their long-term progress. As a result, sponsoring school meals for children of government schools will eventually enable marginalized communities to become independent, progress locally and overcome their current limitations. 

Reverse the cons

When you donate to feed the children, you not only support them but also their parents since it assures them that their little ones are getting essential nutrients and that they will lead better lives in the future.

Also, when children eat together in school, it improves socialization among castes and also empowers women through employment in kitchens.

Funding children’s mid-day meal programme at schools will ensure lasting changes, a sustainable future and equal rights for all. Furthermore, when children receive the generosity of others, they will also learn to work for the betterment of people around them.

Hence, today many NGOs have come forward to feed children and enhance the benefits of education.

Additionally, the pandemic had forced children to stay behind doors, and those without access to digital education experienced further difficulties in retaining and practising concepts taught at school before the lockdown.

Which is precisely why they need our support, NOW MORE THAN EVER.

The Mid-day meal Programme saves the day

You can aid the complete development of school children by supporting us and our various causes through online donations. Your support to Akshaya Patra will ensure the nourishment of children, pregnant women and nursing mothers to eliminate malnutrition at its early stages.

We are an NGO in India whose mission and vision revolve around an optimistic dream that no child should ever be deprived of education or healthy growth due to a lack of food. The seeds of the thought of feeding children came from a visual outside a window where children fought with stray dogs for scraps of food.

We have always believed that there is no future without educated children and thus, children’s place should be inside classrooms – learning, participating in discussions and planning for an inclusive future that benefits people from all socio-economic backgrounds.

Hence, since our inception in 2000, we have only grown in terms of quality and quantity. And currently, we provide school meals to over 1.8 million underprivileged children in India. With your kind donations, we not only feed them every day for an entire academic year but also maintain strict hygiene standards during the cooking process.

So, let’s join hands to nourish children and their priceless dreams. Extend your support to Akshaya Patra for a bright future of India’s youth and underserved communities.

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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.

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).

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