Are we prepared to lead our country towards positive development?

In the Budget 2016, the total allocation to the ministry of Women and Child Development (WCD) was ₹17,408 crore. This included ₹413 crore for funding the National Nutrition Mission, which addresses the maternal and child malnutrition issues.

At present, the government looks after pregnant women in the high-burden districts of India, these districts are defined by their backwardness and their lack of basic facilities. But, the new scheme will be for all families living below the poverty line across the country.

This will ensure that children across the country have equal chances for a healthy growth through access to good and nutritious food.

The Indian demography

India's population that stands over 1.25 billion is expected to become the world's most populous country, overtaking China by 2022. A good percentage of the Indian population, though, does not have access to all the resources are expected to live a very happy and healthy life in the near future. However, currently, the impact of this lack of resources is acutely experienced by the most vulnerable section of the society, the children.

The school lunch provided by The Akshaya Patra Foundation has ensured that no child is deprived of their basic need for nutritious food. Feeding the children is one of chief aims of the Foundation. The main aim is to free a child from the shackles of hunger and help them focus in classroom. A child need not to worry
about a meal.

Power of a full stomach

While a child may be deprived of the required nutrition, it is not just the physical development that would be affected, but also the mental development. A lack of adequate nutrition could affect the intellectual growth because of the less number of micro-nutrients that are necessary for the mental development.

Hence, ensuring adequate nutrition in the food is important not just for an individual, but also for the country as a whole. That is because today's young children are the future of the country. Hence, it's extremely important to feed the children and ensuring they don't have to worry about food, they will be able to focus on their studies alone. And, mentally healthy children would grow up to be healthy adults and for a country to have healthy citizens, this is imperative.

Future Focus

The future is about knowledge economies. To establish a country as a knowledge economy, it's necessary that its citizens are knowledgeable and mentally healthy.

In the knowledge economy, it’s about the intellectual prowess of the citizens of a nation that will define its success. By using the collective intellect of the citizens, India will be able to stand up and grow up to be a rich nation by being able to develop on all fronts.

Akshaya Patra, which plays a role in the intellectual development of the country, is a channel for anyone to contribute towards charity for children who are in need. This will provide you a path to directly play a role in ensuring a bright future for the country.

Let’s feed the children and end classroom hunger

Investing in early childhood nutrition is a definite strategy whose returns are quite high. Feeding the children with nutritious food should be made mandatory in every country. One part of the world suffers the challenges of obese children while many others struggle to feed the children. In both cases, what needs to be highlighted is that a balanced nutrition contributes in keeping the body healthy and in shape.

School nutrition is thus an integral part of children’s lives since one of the three main meals are consumed in schools. So when NGOs such as Akshaya Patra set out on a mission to feed the hungry, they were thinking of schools and how to connect nutrition with education. As the Foundation strives to feed millions of children who may go hungry, the purpose of education is served simultaneously. 

Nutrition and mental growth

Of course there has been a growing awareness about nutrition, and towards feeding the children, there are still several parts of India where food needs to reach the children. In its mission of feeding the hungry by serving wholesome lunch to school goers, Akshaya Patra found a growing interest among children in not only attending the school but also participating in various academic and extra-curricular activities.

When the children don’t get nourishment, they often find themselves feeling physically dull and complaining. That’s precisely why the organisation stresses donors to get involved or to sponsor a child so each of these children get a chance at both good nutrition and education. Shortage of nutrition such as iron and iodine impairs cognitive development among children. Thus, the meals served are rich in these two nutrients.

Brain foods 

One of the many reasons why feeding the children should be stressed more than anything is that the duration of the shortage of nutrition also plays a vital role in a child’s cognitive development. Children that do not have access to consistent supply of nutritious food are found to be with certain learning disorders. Yogurt, green vegetables, nuts and pulses are some of the brain foods that are recommended by nutritionists for the healthy growth of a child. The meals served by Akshaya Patra are especially prepared keeping these brain foods in mind.

Behavioural development

The pre-school years are considered to be quite dramatic and crucial postnatal brain development period. Here’s when children develop working memory, attention and inhibitory control. Primary school years, on the other hand, have a significant contribution in developing behavioural skills wherein nutritious diet plays a major part.

Keeping these facts in mind, we emphasise upon not only serving wholesome lunch to school children but also spreading awareness about nutrition for children in general. Our donors are made aware of the kind of meals that are needed for children so that they practise a healthy diet even around their own environment. You are welcome to join the cause and contribute. Donate today.

Recognizing the Importance of Early Childhood Development

Every child’s development begins in the womb. As their body begins to develop during initial stages, they not only need constant care but also need quality provisions such as hygiene, diet and a good environment. According to World Health Organisation (WHO) fact sheet, Early Childhood Development (ECD) takes place from birth until the child is of eight years.

World Health Day, observed last week, helps us understand and recognise the different aspects of people’s health. Being considered as one of the top NGOs in the country, Akshaya Patra is doing its bit by feeding millions of children every day with nutritious wholesome meals and the organisation would like to reiterate a few factors that play an important role in the development of every child.

Child’s health

The initial stage of a child is sensitive and vulnerable – the child would need constant care as they go through feeding and development. Through clean water and good food, a child’s health can be prioritized. However, the most important checklist to ensure every child is healthy is vaccinations against infections and diseases. One of India’s wide spread case was polio and in 2014, WHO reported that India was polio-free (after having no fresh reports for three consecutive years).

Environment & experiences

Child’s environment and the experiences they go through help them in developing their mind. Let’s say, a child is visiting a park – the kind of environment, conversations, experiences and observations will define a child’s understanding about the surrounding. Therefore, it is very crucial to expose the child to a positive environment and also help them and allow them to experience different aspects of life – childhood and learning.

Education

Schools expose children different people, different subjects and will also brighten their mind with knowledge. The ECD phase (when the child is in primary school), they start forming discovering different subjects and topics of interest.

How is Akshaya Patra playing a role in children’s life?

The Akshaya Patra Foundation is an NGO in India feeding over 1.6 million school children every day with nutritious meals. The organisation takes pride in having encouraged millions of children, through mid-day meals, to enroll in schools and be a part of education system. With support from government, corporates, donors and many volunteers who have contributed to the cause, the organisation has grown in leaps and bounds. Today, the organisation is feeding the children in 11 states of India with Mid-Day Meal and Anganwadi feeding programme.

You can take part in our charity fundraising.

Why Mid-day Meal in Andhra Pradesh need Support?

One of India’s populous states and a coastal region, Andhra Pradesh is rich in history. Akshaya Patra, an NGO present in Vijayawada and other districts of this state, aims to feed the children with nutritious mid-day meals in order to encourage them to attend school.

Mid-day meal scheme in Andhra Pradesh and 10 other states has its benefits and India is at a stage where initiatives like this will contribute to nation-building. Food for education by Akshaya Patra (with a varied mid-day meal menu) is undoubtedly one of the solutions which will also contribute to Sustainable Development Goals – to eradicate global hunger by 2030.

Here are some of the reasons why your support will help our country achieve its mission:

To counter classroom hunger

According to United Nations – World Food Programme hunger statistics, 66 million primary school-age children attend classes hungry across the developing world. To add to this, many children give school a miss due to hunger. To address this issue, Akshaya Patra began its Mid-Day Meal Programme which is now reaching out to over 1.6 million children. The programme looks forward to providing freshly cooked nutritious meals to children which eliminates hunger and encourages children to be a part of our educational system. With your support, we can reach out to more children to help them receive food and education.

To reach the unreached

As an NGO, our role is to reach underserved and unfed children across India. By implementing Mid-Day Meal Programme, children not only receive adequate nutrition, but also education. Yet while our intention and spirit are ready, our resources need your support. Reaching millions of children in India or feeding the hungry is a tall order and we have come thus far due to millions of generous hearts. You can simply sponsor a child so you help a child in Andhra Pradesh get education and food.

To feed the children

The blue bus: Akshaya Patra uses custom-designed insulated vehicles to deliver food from kitchens to school. So firstly, there is no spillage during transportation, and secondly, children are served fresh, hot meal every day. These vans leave from kitchens a few minutes before lunch time and ensure every beneficiary school receives food. You can support our meals on wheels by sponsoring a delivery van for effective operations of mid-day meals.

Akshaya Patra’s focus is to build a nation of hunger-free children and simultaneously encourage education. Mid-day meal scheme in Andhra Pradesh promises a healthy childhood for the state’s children. You can make your contribution by sponsoring a child or by getting involved with the Foundation’s activities. Just as Mother Teresa put it, ‘It's not how much we give but how much love we put into giving.’ Feed the children today by donating to Akshaya Patra. The children in Andhra Pradesh and all over India await your valuable help.

10 Ingredients that make Mid-Day Meal a Healthy Eat!

The 21st century has made us more food conscious than ever. We take interest in understanding the importance of healthy food, nutrition intake, and calories and so on. To simplify the food theories, we have even created food pyramids and graphs based on age groups. Today, we all know what kind of food is acceptable for children and what isn’t.

As an NGO, Akshaya Patra aims to feed the children the right amount of mid-day meals with sufficient nutritional values. We believe mid-day meal benefits every child. Before we share our little secret on keeping children healthy, here’s a bit of history on Nutrition. The word ‘Nutrition’ means ‘nourishment’ and first originated in Latin during early 15th century. Centuries later, when hunger was identified as an issue, a prefix Mal which means ‘bad’ was used to describe poor nutritional levels – malnutrition.

For Akshaya Patra, it is important that children receive the right amount of nutrients in their food. Here’s a list of ingredients used in mid-day meals along with their nutrition value:

To break the cycle of hunger among children, a country must do a lot – introduce nutritional school lunch programmes, ensure initiatives are reaching the target group, prioritise education, stabilise low-income families with subsidies and health care benefits, and many more. Akshaya Patra’s menu of mid-day meals is such that it covers the basics of nutrition intake and calories, making it one of the best diets for children!

Besides clothing and shelter, food is one of the basic needs for humans. We have reached a point in time where most of us are able to afford these basic needs however, lack of food among children continues to be a persistent issue. Let’s act to ensure children receive the two most important elements that can help them grow – food and education. Sponsor a child by donating Rs 950 and be assured that he or she will receive wholesome mid-day meals for an entire academic year!

Akshaya Patra Observes World Hunger Day

Hunger is a complex word for children who are starving.  Majority of the children studying in Government schools go without food during lunch hours. For them, satisfying hunger is the major concern than learning. They are ready to go for work with their parents which will fetch them a meagre income.

World Hunger Day is observed every year on 28^th May. The event celebrates sustainable solutions to end extreme hunger and poverty. Studies show that there are millions of children in India who need to earn their own meal at a tender age. Due to this problem, children are unable to attend school. In such a situation mid-day meal served by Akshaya Patra acts a breather for the children.

The Mid-Day Meal Scheme is a Government initiative and under its aegis Akshaya Patra implements the scheme. Understanding that hunger is a hindrance for education and health, the NGO feeds the children with meals rich in nutrients, proteins, carbohydrates and vitamins which are essential for tackling issues of hunger and malnutrition.

Join Akshaya Patra in feeding the hungry children as India is home to the largest number of malnourished children. The National Family Health Survey (NFHS) estimates that 48 per cent, or 61 million, under-five children in the country are stunted (they have low height for their age); 43 per cent, or 53 million, are underweight; and nearly 20 per cent, or 25 million, are wasted (low weight for height). Let us stop hunger from claiming the childhood of millions of children. Malnutrition disrupts a child’s mental and physical development – which leads to poor concentration as well as poor critical thinking and creativity.

Hunger is preventable if all of us join hands in supporting Akshaya Patra. If the problem of hunger is solved, children can pursue education as it is the best way to escape poverty. The motive of Akshaya Patra is to stop childhood hunger and thereby support education.

The organisation serves nutritious meals in 24 locations across 10 states of India. In a day, meals are served to 1.5 million children. The Akshaya Patra Foundation is the world's largest not-for-profit organisation providing wholesome mid-day meals. For feeding a child for an entire academic year, it will cost only ₹750.

Support us @ www.akshayapatra.org/world-hunger-day

Read our World Hunger Day blog @ http://blog.akshayapatra.org/our-hope-this-world-hunger-day/

Impact of mid-day meal on growing children

Over the years, the Mid-Day Meal Scheme has proved itself to be a supporting pillar in the overall development of children even at the grass root level of the society. The Scheme that was initiated by Government of India is being implemented by various Non-Governmental Organisations too. The Akshaya Patra Foundation is one among the various NGOs. Akshaya Patra began providing school lunch at five Government schools in Bengaluru city of Karnataka in 2000. This was even before the official central mandate in 2003 by the Government of India to provide free cooked mid-day meal at all Government schools. But after the mandate was passed, Akshaya Patra partnered with the Government of India in providing cooked meals at schools. Since then, Akshaya Patra has been working in a Public-Private Partnership model to achieve the six objectives of the Central Mid-Day Meal Scheme i.e.:

• Eliminating classroom hunger
• Increasing school enrolment
• Increasing school attendance
• Improving socialization among castes 
• Addressing malnutrition, and
• Women empowerment

During the course of implementing the mid-day meal programme for 15 years now, Akshaya Patra has also conducted impact studies of the programme in association with noted research organisations. The Akshaya Patra kitchen process and operations has also become a part of prestigious institutes like Harvard Business School. Below are mention of few impact studies that clearly showcase the significance and potential of the mid-day meal programme in eliminating classroom hunger, improving child health and also increasing enrolment and concentration of children.

• ‘Assessment of Mid-Day Meal Programme In 8 States’ by Sigma Research and Consulting Pvt. Ltd.
• ‘Impact Assessment Study Report of The Akshaya Patra Foundation - HPCL Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) projects (2012-13)’ by Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS)
• ‘Report on Measuring the Impact of Mid- Day-Meal on Child Growth’ by Department of Public Health Manipal University
• ‘Evaluation of the Mid-Day Meal Programme – June 2012’ by Kusuma Trust U.K.
• ‘Impact study 2012’ by Edumedia
• ‘Impact Assessment of The Akshaya Patra Foundation’s Mid-Day Meal Programme 2010’ by A.C. Nielsen
• ‘Akshaya Patra: Feeding India's School Children’ by Harvard business school

A click on Akshaya Patra Impact Studies will take you to the details of each of the above mentioned studies. To support Akshaya Patra, donate online to charity.

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Bollywood Star Ranveer Singh campaigns for Akshaya Patra!

Since inception in June 2000, Akshaya Patra has seen involvement of people from all walks of life towards the noble cause of feeding children. Akshaya Patra always provides a platform for existing supporters as well as invites new supporters to get involved in nation building through feeding the young hearts. Over the years of implementing the mid-day meal programme, Akshaya Patra has witnessed that each meal has its own story and each beneficiary has his or her own special dream. Thus the Foundation has always thrived to provide quality, hygienic and tasty mid-day meal each day to each of the beneficiaries.

Currently, Akshaya Patra is operational in 24 locations of 10 states. Each day, Akshaya Patra feeds mid-day meal to more than 1.4 million children across Government schools. It aims to feed 5 million children by 2020. The task indeed is humongous but not unattainable. Working towards the mission, Akshaya Patra welcomes participation from each member of the country. The participation could be in the form of skill, time, funds, awareness creation or even volunteering. The recent partnership with Ching’s Secret is an exemplary one as it has brought in Ranveer Singh, the Brand Ambassador of Ching’s Secret and popular Bollywood Star to campaign for Akshaya Patra.

Ranveer has been actively involved in the planning and execution of the campaign called 'India Ke Hunger Ki Bajao'. The campaign aims to feed at least 1 million children across the country. Ranveer’s sincere support towards the children was witnessed as he offered his support to 10,000 children and sponsored their mid-day meals for an entire year at the launch of the campaign. Along with Akshaya Patra beneficiaries as Ranveer appeals in this video it just takes 10 seconds and a minimum amount of Rs. 750 to feed a child for an entire year. This amount has the potential to nourish and change the life of millions of young citizens. The campaign will receive broadcast in television, radio and digital platforms. It is also being supported by well-known brands like Yash Raj Films, India TV, Red FM, Reliance Fresh, Patel Bros., Paytm, Choitrams and Fluence.

Managing Director of Capital Foods (Ching's Secret's parent company), Ajay Gupta opines that it’s time to give back to the society and education of children will definitely lead to a better future of the country. Ranveer Singh too adds that he loves kids and being able to be involved with the cause of Akshaya Patra gives him immense joy. He believes that being the role of Indian youth, he will be able to spread the message and bring in maximum participation for the cause.

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Akshaya Patra Striving to Improve Child Nutrition

A major objective Akshaya Patra intends to achieve through the implementation of its mid day meal programme is significantly increasing child nutrition.

Eliminating malnutrition is a matter of utmost urgency in India. UNICEF statistics state that 1 in 3 of the world's malnourished children lives in India.

Akshaya Patra Beneficiary Success Story from Vadodara

Akshaya Patra in Gujarat : Sheetal Chawla, a student of Pragati Vidyalaya, Bhayli has the knack of hiding the tale of an unforeseen life event which affected her academically too. Sheetal comes from a humble background. A creative child who loves to draw Mehendi on others’ hands and she is very fond of dancing too. She is a bright student in her academics too.

At a tender age Sheetal came across probably the most uncertain event in her life when her father suffered from high BP and a mild heart attack. After struggling for two months, he breathed his last in March 2011. With this irrecoverable loss, Sheetal also lost a whole academic year as she could not appear for her annual examination, the first date of which coincided with the date when her father passed away. This life changing event of Sheetal gets tactfully hidden behind her sparkling eyes.

To support her family, Bharati Behn- Sheetal’s mother began to work as domestic help in a few houses. Now, she is the only earning member in the family. But, this has not put a pause in the education of either Sheetal or her brother Piyush. Bharati Behn with her little earnings is managing to educate both her children. Sheetal’s brother is studying in the 10th Standard. He aims to do his ITI Diploma.

As Bharati Behn’s day starts as early as 6 a.m., Sheetal and her brother’s just has a glass of milk for their breakfast. Sheetal thus looks forward to having the freshly cooked meal of Akshaya Patra which is served before noon between 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sheetal is a Akshaya Patra beneficiary and she goes on to s ay, “Akshaya Patra mid day meal is a boon to families like ours, where it is difficult to have such a nutritious hot meal every day”. A thoughtful child, she extends a special thanks to all the ‘Bhais’ (brothers) and Behns (sisters) of Akshaya Patra for their everyday support.

Join Akshaya Patra and get involved in changing the lives of many children like Sheetal. Let’s together change the future in a constructive way. Feed the Children today!!!

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