3 predictors of child malnutrition in India

Child malnutrition is a chronic problem - a difficult malaise to tackle. Substantial progress has been made in child mortality rate; it has reduced from 5.2% in 2012 to 3.4% in 2021. (Global Hunger Index 2021)

However, the causes of death for children under five remain pre-term birth complications, trauma, birth asphyxia, and infectious diseases like pneumonia, diarrhoea and malaria. Tackling child malnourishment requires a multi-faceted approach which includes improving the quality and quantity of dietary intake, maternal health and education, etc.

The Government of India initiated programmes like the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) that nourish pregnant and lactating mothers and their children below the age of six and midday meals (MDM) to school-going children. Many NGOs in India have also implemented these schemes to ensure that children do not sleep on an empty stomach.

Factors that could predict malnutrition of children

Child malnutrition is divided into undernutrition (insufficient calorie consumption) and overnutrition (excess consumption of calories).

Lack of the right nutrients and macronutrients in a child results in the prevalence of undernourishment in children which could lead to underweightedness, stunting and wasting.

• ·         Poor quality diet
• ·         Poor maternal health
• ·         Socio-economic status 

1.   1) Malnutrition due to poor quality diet

A child of any age can suffer from malnutrition, specifically, young children are more prone. According to the World Health Organisation, malnutrition is the underlying cause of approximately 3.1 million children’s deaths each year.

In India, a child who comes from an average underprivileged household does not get the adequate nutrients in the form of food as their food does not comprise vegetables, lentils and legumes. Including these in the diet gives the right amount of proteins required for children to stay active.

Rising prices of vegetables and other essentials leave no option for parents coming from marginalised sections of society to feed their children with what is cheaply available. NGOs support the children of such parents who run the PM-POSHAN programme (earlier known as the MDM scheme).

2.  2) Malnutrition due to poor maternal health

The Government has made excessive promotions to make people aware that breastfeeding for the first six months is beneficial to a baby. And these benefits extend into adulthood as well.

It goes without saying that a malnourished mother will not be able to pass on the required nutrition to her child in the form of milk. And ultimately, this child will become malnourished and have many deficiencies and complications in the long run.

It is crucial that a woman should be nourished well during all the stages of her pregnancy. A child develops organs right from the mother’s womb. What this means is that the cognitive and physical growth of a child takes place even before it opens its eyes in this world.

3.  3) Malnutrition due to socioeconomic status

A malnourished child grows up to become an undernourished adult who cannot perform to give the best. Not performing the best in a work environment gives less salary which does not give access to good food. This further means that undernourished adults give birth to malnourished children and the cycle continues without a pause.

            Hunger and poverty are vicious cycles - endless

It is very difficult to put an end to this cycle unless a member of the family starts earning better to provide good and wholesome meals. Chronic or long-term malnourishment is concentrated in sections of society coming from challenging socio-economic backgrounds.

Nourishing children right from age zero

Supporting the Government’s initiatives to nourish children at every stage of life, The Akshaya Patra Foundation – an NGO in India provides nutritious meals. These meals are prepared by giving the topmost priorities to safety and hygiene. It is recognised for running the world’s largest NGO-run school meal programme and it has been serving locally palatable meals since 2000.

Akshaya Patra is spread across 61 locations feeding 1.8 million children across 14 states & 2 union territories.

Donate to feed the children who need your support. By serving midday meals for 1 full school year with your donation of ₹1500, you are giving them a reason to come back to school every day. Not only that, by helping them come to school daily, you also help them get educated. By getting educated, you are supporting the next set of leaders and achievers to meet their goals.

Make an online donation to support the dreams of a million children.

Embrace the spirit of a father’s love and compassion

 

Education takes children a step closer to empowerment

 

Education is empowering.

It is a force that creates knowledge, builds personalities and confidence while also making way for new opportunities.

Getting education is also a doorway to a better life.

For some of us, going to school every day is a part of normal life, however, for children coming from disadvantaged backgrounds, education is a rare and precious gift.

All children deserve the precious gift of education and so, when you make a charity in India to an NGO, you change lives.

By empowering children, it is easy to engage them in further learning, encourage them to imagine, observe, form opinions and mould their behaviour accordingly.

Children are like an empty glass

Whatever you pour in it is what they are made up of. Hence, it is of utmost importance that we nourish them and build a lot of positivity around them to grow into empowered beings. Childhood is the stage of life that moulds their behaviour and character.

Empowered children are confident children.

Children develop a grasping power at a very young age. Getting them educated helps them in their psychosocial development. Gaining education helps them in the long term.

Like Nelson Mandela said, “Our children are our greatest treasure. They are our future.”

Involve them in discussions

This is a very effective way of making children feel that they are important and are of value too. Whether they contribute to these discussions is secondary. For example – Sujita is a midday meal programme (MDM) beneficiary from Daman’s CPS Primary School in Silvassa. By speaking constantly with her Grandparents, she holds strong opinions herself. Thanks to the food and education that she receives at school.

Allow children to be their decision-makers

Children should be encouraged to take decisions at a very young age. However, the risks and consequences should be discussed with them as well. Continuing Sujita’s story, it was up to her to meet her parents. However, she carefully weighed her choices and decided that she never wanted to meet them anymore because they had abandoned her when she was a small child. This decision of hers made her confident that she can take care of herself.

Support them in every stage of life

When they make a decision that is in their favour, giving compliments or praises can make a huge difference in their behaviour and personality. Using positive words uplifts their spirits and brings good feelings about themselves. Adding further to Sujita’s story. Her grandparents stood by her when she decided that she did not want to meet her parents. They supported her decision so much that today, she does not feel the need to cry over their memories anymore.

Schools give children the education that could empower them. But not all of them are privileged to afford a decent education for their child.

Hence, the Government of India has initiated various programmes, schemes and scholarships that can support them.

To help children from all walks of life benefit from these schemes, many NGOs have joined hands with the Government. One such scheme is the Midday Meal Programme (MDM Scheme) which is now called the PM-POSHAN.

One such NGO is The Akshaya Patra Foundation allows you the opportunity to help children with your online donations. Sujita is one of the million beneficiaries of the Foundation who has benefitted from generous contributors who donated towards providing unlimited meals for education.

Beginning from a small number of feeding meals to 1,500 children in Karnataka, today, Akshaya Patra serves locally palatable and nutritious meals to 1.8 million children coming from challenging backgrounds. Support many such children with your onlinedonation towards this NGO in India.

Mid Day Meals: a Bridge to Abundant Futures of Children

Early childhood is the period of rapid growth and development of a child’s mind and body. Thus, childhood nutrition lays the foundation for motor, cognitive, social and emotional skills for their entire lives. It ensures strong immunity against infections, proper brain development, healthy growth of vital organs and improvement in children’s physical and cognitive activity. 

Why mid day meals?

Ensuring children receive proper nutrition is not an easy task. A child must be served various nutrients balanced by type and proportion.  

Additionally, children from underprivileged families are the most vulnerable to life-threatening illnesses due to lack of awareness about such nutritional requirements. As a result, frequent exposure to diseases forces millions of children in India to skip and even quit school altogether. 

This is why Akshaya Patra, an NGO in India, began its work in 2000 to tackle classroom hunger by providing adequate nourishment to strengthen their immunity. What started by feeding 1,500 children is now running the world’s largest NGO-run school lunch programme. Presently, Akshaya Patra serves mid-day meals (MDM) to 1.8 million children across 14 states and 2 union territories every single day! 

How does Akshaya Patra contribute to child development? 

Ever since Akshaya Patra started supporting the Indian Government in implementing the mid-day meal (MDM) programme, it has been conducting thorough research to provide the best food for the nation’s leaders of tomorrow. 

Conclusively, the NGO in India began following nutritional guidelines declared by the Supreme Court of India and the Ministry of Education (previously known as the Ministry of Human Resource Development) for preparing school meals. 

Guidelines by the Supreme Court of India

• Every child must get a minimum of 300 calories and 8-12 grams of protein per day
• Adequate nutrition must be provided on all school days for a minimum of 200 days

Guidelines by the Ministry of Education

• Every meal must contain carbohydrates, proteins, and micronutrients such as iron, folic acid, Vitamin A etc.
• Primary school children must receive at least 450 calories with 12 grams of protein, while upper primary and secondary school children must receive 700 calories with 20 grams of protein

How do mid day meals determine children’s future?

When the nutritional requirements are met efficiently, a child’s body builds strength and stamina to deal with all the odds with perseverance. This will enable children—especially those from challenging backgrounds—to work hard, surpass their socioeconomic boundaries and escape the vicious cycle of poverty.

Here’s the story of Roshini, a mid-day meal beneficiary from Odisha, who lost a majority of her childhood worrying and getting bullied because of a white patch on her skin. She grew anxious thinking it may spread all over her body and even stopped eating, assuming the white patch may spread faster because of an ingredient that she could be unaware of. 

However, once she was introduced to the internet by a school friend, it cleared all her misconceptions. She further explored the online world and decided to become a cosmetic surgeon to help people like her. 

During her research, Roshini also found out about Akshaya Patra and its hygienic processes for cooking school meals. Hence, she no longer hesitated to relish safe and fulfilling meals at her school that come from the same Foundation.

Education and resources at school helped Roshini look at the world from a new perspective. Millions of children like Roshini come to school for nutritious meals and such enlightening experiences to establish a purpose for their lives. This is where Akshaya Patra steps in; it serves food to Government and Government-aided schools and fuels the dreams of children from challenging backgrounds.

How can you support Akshaya Patra?

You can support Akshaya Patra in multiple ways. 

• Donate online on Akshaya Patra’s website. A donation of INR 1,500 funds school meals for an entire academic year. The more you contribute, the more the children will flourish.
• Start fundraising campaigns on Akshaya Patra’s website and share them amongst your loved ones to raise funds.
• Donate a delivery vehicle to help Akshaya Patra reach more schools. 
• Donate for utensils the children use to have their meals such as steel plates and tumblers. 
• Participate in volunteering activities involving school children or those that advocate sustainability.
• Spread the word amongst your social circle to encourage support for children.

If people come together to do the best they can, it opens up new opportunities for the foundation to reach beyond the current locations. For instance, Akshaya Patra recently inaugurated its 61st kitchen in Andhra Pradesh with the help of a generous donor. It also receives delivery vans from compassionate donors that helps expand their reach. 

Donating to NGOs also benefits the donors in many ways. When you know your hard-earned money is being deployed for a social cause, you experience ultimate joy and contentment. Additionally, you can also avail tax exemption under section 80G as the Foundation is registered Section 12A (a) of the Income Tax Act, 1961.

With your continued support, we are sure to fulfil our mission of feeding 5 million children by 2025. 
The more you donate for children’s healthy meals, the more educated our nation’s children will be and the more development India will see.

Another Feather In The Cap - Mangalagiri Kitchen

 

Summary: With the objective to benefit more and more children with the Mid-Day Meal Programme, The Akshaya Patra Foundation has been relentlessly striving to expand its reach. One if the recent developments is the inauguration of the Mangalagiri Kitchen in Andhra Pradesh. It is an addition to the existing eight kitchens in the state.

Body of content: The Akshaya Patra Foundation has been implementing the Mid-Day Meal Scheme in India, now known as PM POSHAN Scheme, since 2000. The Foundation is cognisant that in its mission to feed the children, it has to consistently maintain high standards with regards to quality of meals, hygiene, cleanliness, and punctuality in preparing and delivering meals, each day. Hence, during the past 21 years, Akshaya Patra has been strategically and sustainably expanding its reach to provide regular nutritious school meals to children.

 Overview of Akshaya Patra’s service

Akshaya Patra began serving children in the year 2000. As a first step, the Foundation provided nutritious meals to 1,500 children in five government schools in Bengaluru. Soon, it realised the pronounced need of these meals. Gradually, Akshaya Patra started spreading its wings beyond Bengaluru and Karnataka. Presently, the Foundation has a beneficiary base of 18,00,907 children studying in 19,039 government schools and government-aided schools. It runs both centralised and decentralised kitchens to feed the children in urban, semi-urban, and remote areas. Currently, Akshaya Patra kitchens are located in 60 locations across 14 States and 2 Union Territories.

 About Mangalagiri Kitchen

·         Launch & supporters: This is one of the recently launched centralised kitchens of Akshaya Patra. Honourable Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, Shri. Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy was the Chief Guest for the occasion and inaugurated the kitchen. Special guests at the event were Honourable Minister of Education, Shri Audimulapu Suresh; Honourable Minister of Finance & Planning, Shri Buggana Rajendranath Reddy; Honourable Chairman – TTD, Shri Y.V. Subba Reddy; Honourable Member of Parliament, Shri Lavu Srikrishna Devarayulu (MP - Rajya Sabha), and Honourable MLA, Shri Alla Rama Krishna Reddy. The event was presided by Shri Satya Gaura Chandra Dasa in the presence of Shri Madhu Pandit Dasa, Chairman - Akshaya Patra.

 

This kitchen is supported by the Airports Authority of India. Shri R. Madhavan, Regional Executive Director, and Shri P.V. Rao Directors - Airports Authority of India, were the guests of honour at the event. The patron guest for the event was Shri Sanjeev Kumar, IAS., Chairman - Airports Authority of India. Shri Buditha Rajasekhar, IAS., PS, Department of School Education AP, Shri Vivek Yadav, IAS., Collector & District Magistrate - Guntur, and Shri Arif Hafeez, IPS were the special invitees for the event.

 

·         About the kitchen: This state-of-the-art centralised kitchen will provide nutritious school meals and impact the lives of more than 50,000 children. This will further the progress of the Mid-Day Meal Scheme in India. The kitchen is built on latest technology with gravitational technology as one of the main highlights. It has a Condensed Recovery System, Duracrete flooring, ETP for waste management, and fuel saving boiler as an eco-friendly measure.

 

·         Meal menu & delivery: Akshaya Patra will be serving as per the Jagananna Gorumudda Scheme so that it continues to adhere to the dietary norms while serving the local palate. A fleet of 15 vehicles will deliver the food to schools in insulated containers which can maintain the temperature of food for more than 6 hours.

Support Akshaya Patra’s endeavour

The Mid-Day Meal Scheme in India has been a potential intervention in the education sector. It has positively impacted the health, academic, and overall development of children. The meal programme has resulted in increased enrolment rate, attendance, and performance of the children. Help Akshaya Patra to continue to feed the children and create nourished and nurtured generations. You can donate directly, conduct fundraising campaigns, or join as a CSR partner. You can also spread the word in your social network. In conclusion, donate to NGO, nourish children and save tax while you engage in doing good. 

 

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.

5 tax-saving tips

The Akshaya Patra Foundation is registered as a not-for-profit organisation under the Indian Trusts Act, 1882 and Section 12A (a) of the Income Tax Act, 1961. It has been serving mid-day meals to underprivileged school children since 2000. Every donation made towards the NGO in India is eligible for 50% tax exemption.
 

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.