The Dream Diaries of Akshaya Patra’s Beneficiaries

Giving Every Dream a Chance – Shekar, The Budding Chef

“When you are sad or feeling low, good food will always make you feel better.”

When children dream, it is limitless. For Shekar, the dream of becoming a chef and working in the kitchen of a high-end hotel is an excitement feeling in itself. Akshaya Patra’s initiative turned the 14-year-old boy’s dream into an opportunity by charting a month-long mentorship programme, where he developed his skills under the watchful eyes of Chef Ramasamy Selvaraju of the Vivanta by Taj. For a recipe to be successful, it’s important that all ingredients are carefully added and blend well.  In this short film, you will see that the two most important ingredients for Shekar, opportunity and hard work blended exceptionally well.

Giving Every Dream a Chance – Shivu, The Rising Astronomer

“Space must be such a lonely place… with just the stars for company.”

Stars are among the few fascinating things that make our eyes twinkle with curiosity. For Shivu, whose passion is to become an astronomer, it is no different. Akshaya Patra laid the runway for his dream by providing a mentorship programme under the guidance of Ms Preeti Krishnamurthy, Senior Research Fellow in Astrophysics. During his mentorship, 14-year-old boy Shivu got an opportunity to have a closer look at the sky. His one-on-one sessions with his mentor were as enlightening as his trips to some of the best space and research facilities in and around Bengaluru. When mentorship came to a close, Shivu had his own telescope which definitely lifted his morale. Shivu’s journey, as you can see in this video, was nothing short of impressive. It is perhaps true that the universe itself lies in us.

Giving Every Dream a Chance – Manjula, The Aspiring Actress

“… when you become an actor, you can become anything you want.”

When you look into the mirror and see the reflection of a performer, it’s not the reflection you see, but a dream. That is the dream Manjula saw who is one of Akshaya Patra’s beneficiaries. A star in her own right, what the 14-year-old girl needed was a guide to polish her natural acting skills. That happened when Akshaya Patra decided to elevate Manjula’s dream by enrolling her in a month-long acting mentorship programme at the Bangalore School of Speech and Drama under the guidance of its Founder-Director, Dr. Zulfia Shaikh. Manjula was also surprised by her screen idol, Akul Balaji, who had come to watch her debut performance.