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.

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.

Meals that strengthens hope - Latest success stories of Akshaya Patra

 

Have you ever thought, how would it be to uphold hopes and give wings to lakhs of aspirations, every single day? Well, The Akshaya Patra Foundation, an NGO in India has been doing this for the past 21 years. In 2000, with the vision, “No child shall be deprived of education because of hunger’, Akshaya Patra began serving freshly prepared, nutritious school meals to children in government schools and government-aided schools. It is one of the pioneers in implementing the Midday Meal Programme in partnership with the Central Government and various State Governments.

Akshaya Patra has progressed from providing meals to 1,500 children at five schools in Bengaluru in 2000 to benefitting 18,00,907 children in 19,039 schools in 58 locations across 13 States and 1 Union Territory in 2021.

The Midday Meal Programme impacts lives of children in more ways than what’s visible on the surface and Akshaya Patra is well-aware of this impact. Hence, it strives each day to provide high-quality, nutritious meals to children across India. More often than not, this meal is the reason why parents send their children to school with the hope that children will receive at least one full meal a day. Their reason of sending children to school may not primarily be that for education, but it certainly opens up the path to education and children witness that their far-fetched dream of going to school has finally come true. This turn of events instil a sense of confidence in them that it is possible to achieve their dreams.

Stories of hope

Here’s sharing the hope stories of two Akshaya Patra beneficiaries from among 18,00,907 beneficiaries.

·         Inspired by “Gully Boy” a popular Bollywood movie mixed with his sheer interest in music, Rajesh, a student of Chandrabaghabai Education Society is all set to become the next sensation as a rap artist. He already writes his own lyrics and makes music out of anything; just by tapping his hand and pencil on the desk, Rajesh creates a variety of rhythms. And once he has found the right tune for the lyrics, he confidently raps it in front of the whole class with his friends as beatboxers. His fluency in English and Hindi is worth a mention. His determination to become a rap artist become even more pronounced as he shares, “I visit my neighbour’s house twice a week to watch shows of my favourite artists and I try to learn from their styles.” Rajesh is a true performer and have received appreciation of his principal and the entire school. He says, “No work is a task, if you do it wholeheartedly. And my heart beats to rap music. I want to be a rap artist. I know it is not all that easy and I don’t have a Bollywood background. But I will work very hard with all my heart and get to the top on my own.”

·         Not many of us can turn a flaw into our strength, but Roshni, a student from Higher Primary School, Odisha did it. A white patch on the face shadowed most of Roshni’s schooldays. She was nicknamed as patchy, white-patch etc. Roshni felt humiliated and every day became more and more traumatising. Gradually, she distanced herself from everyone, stopped eating food because of the fear that certain food may worsen the patch. One day, Roshni’s friend introduced her to the internet and that changed everything for her. She read about the patch on her face and understood that all along there was no reason to feel insecure about the patch or the food she ate. Instantly, she accepted the mark as her identity and decided to become a Cosmetic Surgeon. Alongside she also read up on the kind of food that is beneficial for her skin. While doing so, she browsed a little more to know about the NGO that serves daily lunch at her school, The Akshaya Patra Foundation. She was pleasantly surprised and happy to know that the Foundation ensured complete cleanliness while preparing the food and prioritised children’s safety at every step. Since then, she has never hesitated to eat her school meals. Roshni’s teachers were glad to witness the positive change in her. They support her morally and financially as an encouragement to achieve her dreams. Today, Roshni is a confident girl who is good at academics and participates in all co-curricular activities. She says, “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.”

Support Akshaya Patra to nurture more dreams

This NGO in India strives to make each day better, happier, and fulfilling for children. It aims to feed 50-lakh children by 2025. Join the mission and instantly make a difference in the lives of children by contributing online donation. Your one moment of generosity will change the lives of children for the better. Step in to give hope and nurture budding dreams because every bit of your support matters.