How important is education for the future?

In this age of information overload, there’s little that we are grasping. All the more reason that education should be emphasised upon now. Education is the knowledge of implementing information at the right place.

Schools in India have now come a long way since independence. The government today is ensuring that education is being imparted through aanganwadis, schools, midnight schools and so on. For a majority of the population, it’s formal education that can help them get where they wish to be. Hence, its importance cannot be overlooked. 

A major role of NGOs such as Akshaya Patra today is played out in the field of education, simply because it really is the foundation of the future. So if there’s a cause that you want to back up today or engage in a fundraising campaign online, you should pick education and choose to donate for education in India. 

Education paves way for choices 

Unless children are given equal opportunities of education, they will never learn about the various streams and avenues that could open up for them. Our future society needs skilled and educated professionals in every vocation. We need doctors, engineers, mechanics, teachers, nurses, writers, technicians, photographers, artists, dancers, actors and more. 

Education exposes children to the outside world 

Manthan Jikadra, a beneficiary of the mid-day meal scheme run by Akshaya Patra, is a Class VI student from Surat. He diligently attends school and loves to explore the subjects being taught. He regularly participates in cultural activities and has ambitions of becoming an entertainer when he grows up. This is an example of how schools can become a level playing field for children to see the outside world through various means of education. Often the choices and passions children take up in school become their means of earning a livelihood in future. 

Education broadens perspectives 

A future society cannot be founded on evils such as racism, corruption, malice or intolerance. How will future citizens know and learn to respect each other? Through education, children learn to co-exist, share and encourage each other. These qualities don’t come easy and cannot be inculcated overnight. These are often rooted deeply in our upbringing and culture. Education involves learning of various streams, development of mental faculties and exploring information from around the world. This helps children broaden their perspectives. When this happens, we can hope of building a society that treats everyone equally.

An organisation such as Akshaya Patra is working tirelessly to get children to attend schools because education is a cause worth investing in. Through its service of providing a wholesome lunch to children in Government schools, the role of Akshaya Patra as an NGO is to advance the cause of Food for Education. You may choose to back this up through online fundraising campaigns for the organisation or simply by donating for education in India through the online medium.

Are Mid-Day Meals Playing a Role in a Student's Academics?

In the last five decades, literacy has evolved and shaped India in many facets - be it industrialisation, per capita or even the standard of living, literacy takes the credit. When you examine the literacy graph of India and compare numbers, the gradual developments bring a smile – thanks to the government benefits and donations for education in India. While there are many factors that play a role in achieving 100% literacy rate, a children’s NGO, Akshaya Patra, is focusing on enabling a student’s academic performance through food for education initiative – the Mid-Day Meal Programme.

Implemented in 2000, Akshaya Patra’s Mid-Day Meal Programme (food for education initiative) is now the world’s largest NGO-run feeding initiative based out of Bengaluru in Karnataka. Every day, over 1.6 million children are benefitted through this programme which prepares and delivers fresh-nutritious food to 13,260 schools at lunch time. 

Here’s a quick look at two main factors that affect a student’s academic performance:

Learning facilities and environment: It’s rather difficult to expect a child to learn in a classroom without sufficient study materials (text books, notepads, pen, and etcetera) and grasp lessons. It’s more problematic if the school is set up in a noisy surrounding and the exchange between teacher and students is put to a stop. While the government is making continuous efforts to provide provisions to children and build better infrastructure, many NGOs, with the help of education donations, have sprung to lend help to the government in ensuring children excel in their academics.

Socio-economic status: In many scholarly articles and research studies, it has been proved over and again that the socio-economic status of a family is an integral criterion for student’s performance – this includes the family members’ occupation and revenue which defines the economic condition. Akshaya Patra enables many families by providing a resource to their children – mid-day meals – which in turn lessens the strain of feeding a stomach in the house. To ensure the child does not have to bear the responsibilities of earning, the Foundation through its programme encourages every child to attend school and also be assured to eat healthy meals.

Why are Mid-Day Meals a boon to children?

It is a resource that stabilises education.  But along with it come nutrition, good health and well-being, academic achievement and quality performance. Akshaya Patra, with its dynamic initiative to provide food for education, has reached the milestone of serving more than 2 billion meals in the last 16 years. This milestone is a greater encouragement for the Foundation to continue its mission. 

Yes, mid-day meals are a boon to children and for the nation. Here’s why:

- More children enrol in schools

- Promotes socialisation among children

- Reduces classroom hunger

- Enhances a student’s performance (academic, sports and cultural)

A quick thought for the mind: Post-independence, India faced many challenges in the field of Growth and Development. However, through numerous benefit schemes and opportunities, we as nation, are witnessing change in every field. Akshaya Patra’s initiative too intends change. 

We believe every child deserves a fair chance and there is nothing more important than imparting education. Donate for education in India by joining Akshaya Patra in making every school a model of literacy development.