Our Kitchens - Our Pride

 

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

Food pyramid for middle childhood

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

How can Section 80G benefit you?

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Let your benevolence reach its destination by donating a delivery van

 

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

Akshaya Patra’s role in midday meal programme

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

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

How Akshaya Patra implements the meal programme?

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

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

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

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

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

Why Akshaya Patra seeks your support?

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

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

·         Contribute online donation

·         Conduct fundraising campaigns

·         Become a CSR partner

·         Become a goodwill ambassador

·         Become a knowledge partner

·         Volunteer

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

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.

NGO battling hunger through midday meal - 1500/- for a child

 

Hunger, in general, limits people from attaining their full potential. When hunger dwells in children, it blocks them from reaching school and keeps them entangled in the poverty-hunger-illiteracy cycle.

Lack of resources and socio-economically challenging backgrounds makes hunger a part of life for millions of people. Among them are children, who are filled with dreams and aspirations, but are held back due to hunger pangs. Many NGOs across the world and in India are addressing the hunger situation in various ways. The Akshaya Patra Foundation is one of the pioneer NGOs in India to address hunger among school-going children by implementing the Midday Meal Programme in a public private partnership model. This programme is a huge boon for children hailing from socio-economically challenging backgrounds. The meals not only satiate their hunger, but also supports education in a significant way.

It has been observed that parents send their children to school due to the assurance that the children will receive at least one full meal for the day. This opens the doorway to a whole new world for children to learn and grow. Impact studies reveal that regular intake of midday meals positively impacts health and learning abilities in school children. Hence, as a midday meal NGO in India, Akshaya Patra makes sure that they serve nutritious meals to all its beneficiaries on each school day. The Foundation has partnered with the Central Government of India and various State Governments to benefit more and more children across the country.

Akshaya Patra not only addresses hunger, but hidden hunger too!

Hidden hunger is caused due to deficiency of essential vitamins and micronutrients. It affects billions of people worldwide and is a cause of concern for national and international organisations. Unbalanced or poor diet that lacks nutrition is the main reason behind hidden hunger and can adversely affect children and adults. So, it’s not only about tackling hunger, but hidden hunger too. Often times, the diet of the marginalised sections is based on staple food such as rice, wheat, maize, potato, etc. that are easily available and affordable. Though these food items fill the stomach, they lack in vitamins and minerals. So, as an implementor of the Midday Meal Programme, Akshaya Patra takes utmost care to provide wholesome and nutrient-rich meals to school children.

 

To ensure every meal meets the nutritional requirement, Akshaya Patra adheres to the dietary norms of the Central Mid-Day Meal Scheme. As a midday meal NGO in India, Akshaya Patra aims to ensure that every child consumes their daily school meals readily and receives adequate nutrition. So, the Foundation follows a locally palatable cyclic menu. The recipes of Akshaya Patra contains a variety of cereals, pulses, green leafy vegetables, seasonal vegetables, fruits, curd, as well as milk-based sweets.

 

The efforts of Akshaya Patra in the battle against hunger gets mirrored in the myriad of ambitions and strong willpower of 18,00,907 children studying in 19,039 schools across 58 locations of 13 States and 1 Union Territory.

 

Join the battle against hunger and give children the opportunity they deserve. Support this NGO in India to bring more children under its umbrella of service. By contributing an online donation of ₹1500, you can instantly safeguard a child from classroom hunger for an entire year as well as support their health, education, and aspiration. In addition, you will also become an active contributor for the larger good of the world. When you uphold health and right to education of children, you directly help in attaining UN SDGs – Quality Education, Zero Hunger, Good Health & Well-being, Decent Work & Economic Growth, and No Poverty.

 

You are just a click away from creating impact 
through Midday Meal Programme. Act now!

How can you claim tax exemption for donations?

 

In order to receive tax exemption for your donations, it is very important to verify whether or not the charitable organisation you are donating to is a qualified tax-exempt organisation because not all charitable organisations are eligible to give you tax benefits. Here is the 5-point checklist to claim tax exemption for donations to charitable organisations