The Social benefits of Tax Exemption in India

There is a compassionate part hidden among all of us. And, the thought of getting out there and doing something for the society also must have crossed our minds many times. But, how often have we actually gone ahead and done it? We get so caught up in our daily humdrum that our benevolence takes a backseat. But, as they say, ‘where there is a will, there is a way.’ So, one of the many ways that can provide you a platform to actively participate in social causes is to engage with an NGO. Every NGO works towards benefitting, uplifting, and sustaining the society by encompassing factors related to social, legal, environment, ecology, health, economy, education, welfare, and the like. The cause of each NGO directly or indirectly reflects the broader perspectives of global organisations such as the UN, UNESCO, WHO, ILO etc. Since NGOs work at the ground zero level of the society; their involvement with a cause brings about a more sustainable outcome. Hence, when you get involved with an NGO it provides you an avenue to constructively participate in a cause.

In view of the significant role of NGOs and to encourage participation of individuals and businesses in various causes, the Government of India has made the provision of tax exemption in India for all charitable donations. Yes, as per Section 80G of the Income Tax Act, contributing donations to a registered NGO or a charitable trust can avail the donor 100% or 50% exemption on the donated amount based upon the type of charitable trust and the clauses of the Income Tax Act. The exemption is applicable for both online donation and offline donation. However, due to ease and convenience, many donors have started taking the online mode of contributing charity. And, since NGOs understand the worth of each penny, the donor can be rest assured that their money is being utilised in the right way. Hence, considering this form of tax exemption is quite a noble way to contribute towards the society.

Let’s take a couple of instances, if a donor identifies with an environmental cause such as afforestation and contributes towards Save Green, then his taxable income will be utilised towards increasing green cover and initiating several environment-friendly programmes. Similarly, if a donor identifies with child education and nutrition, then donating towards The Akshaya Patra Foundation, an NGO in India will ensure nutritious school meals to government school children on every school day. And, since the NGO is aiming at feeding 5 million children by 2020, every penny of all donations will be directed towards the operational expansion of the NGOs Mid-Day Meal Programme. This means, as a donor, you are providing wholesome meals to children and helping them learn and participate better in school, and you are also contributing towards their healthy growth. So, essentially you are contributing towards a healthier and educated society. And, you are also being a catalyst in nation-building.

Well, as you can decipher from the above-mentioned instances, your taxable income has the potential to transform the society in many different ways. Hence, don’t you think making an online donations or offline donations to NGOs can make the most of the tax exemption in India to upkeep your benevolence, save your hard-earned money while also partaking to uplift the society?

An NGO in India is striding towards nation-building

Every day, Akshaya Patra provides school lunch to more than 1.6 million children across 34 locations in 12 states of India.

Witnessing the interest of Aditya’s interest in computer and solar energy, Akshaya Patra partnered with ITI to provide a computer lab to the school so that children can receive practical knowledge along with theory lessons.

Heeding to Manjula’s interest in theatre and acting, Akshaya Patra enrolled her for a month long mentorship programme at the Bangalore School of Speech and Drama, following which she shone bright at a stage performance.

Akshaya Patra has partaken in several disaster relief activities by providing food to affected people in crisis situations like the devastating Nepal Earthquake and Chennai floods in 2015, the Gorakhpur flood in 2017, and the like.

The Akshaya Patra Foundation is an NGO in India that was initiated with the vision, ‘No child in India shall be deprived of education because of hunger.’ Since its genesis in 2000, this NGO has been striving to address the critical issue of classroom hunger and accessibility to school education through its Mid-Day Meal Programme. Initially, the Foundation served school lunch to just 1,500 children in five government schools in Bengaluru. Taking note of the crucial requirement of school meals, Akshaya Patra gradually began expanding its operations to other parts of the country as well. The Public-Private Partnership, good management, innovative technology, and transparent accounting policies have made the Akshaya Patra’s Mid-Day Meal Programme the world’s largest NGO-run school lunch programme. Today, Akshaya Patra operates 34 kitchens (32 centralised; 2 decentralised) across 12 states, feeding over 1.6 million children, every day.

The role of NGOs in the mid-day meal sector is to provide freshly cooked, nutritious meals to school children with the objective to:

• avoid classroom hunger
• increase school enrolment
• increase school attendance
• improve socialisation among castes
• address malnutrition, and
• empower women through employment

And, several studies done to assess the impact of Akshaya Patra’s meals suggest that the Foundation has been making steady progress in achieving the above-mentioned objectives.

Over the 17 years of service, Akshaya Patra realised that for an overall development of children and inclusive progress of the society, it has to fill certain gaps within its operational realm such as availability of nutritious meals in Anganwadi, providing a platform for children to hone their talents that will help in achieving their goals, and also being available for fellow citizens at the time of need such as natural disasters. So, while performing its core activity of providing mid-day meal, Akshaya Patra also impacts the society with its other feeding initiatives.

Witnessing the potential among its beneficiaries, this NGO in India endeavoured to go beyond just providing school meals with its 'Give Every Dream A Chance’ initiative. As a start, Akshaya Patra identified three beneficiaries Shivu, Manjula, and Shekar with the aim to become an astronaut, an actress, and a chef, respectively, and provided them with a month’s mentorship under experts in the mentioned fields. The impact of this initiative was:

Such initiatives are indeed of prime importance for the overall development of children, and Akshaya Patra is taking steps to implement it within its realm of service.

The dedicated service of the Foundation has been recognised in various forums and here is a mention of just a few of the laurels:

• Akshaya Patra has been ranked 23rd among the top 100 NGOs featured in the 2013 edition of The Global Journal.
• This top NGO has also been featured as one of the eight Indian game changers in the inaugural edition of Innowin (India’s first magazine dedicated to innovation).
• Akshaya Patra became the first NGO to comply with the IFRS and also the winner of the Gold Shield for Excellence in Financial Reporting by the ICAI for five consecutive years, inducting the NGO in the ICAI Hall of Fame.
• In 2006, Akshaya Patra was considered as a case study at the prestigious Harvard Business School as part of its MBA curriculum.

In an effort to multiply the impact of the Mid-Day Meal Programme, this NGO in India continuously enhances its technologies and processes by implementing Kaizen, Continuous Improvement Projects and Six Sigma methodologies in its kitchen operations. Alongside regular technological interventions, the Foundation has also adopted green initiatives such as biogas plant, briquette boiler, and solar power in some of its kitchens with the aim to reduce carbon footprint and operational costs. Also, in an endeavour to improve the nutritional intake of the beneficiaries, recently it launched a pilot in partnership with the Government of Karnataka to include millets in the school lunch programme.

Undoubtedly, the role of NGOs is significant and important for the overall development and progress of the society. And, organisations such as Akshaya Patra bring about a change in a sustainable manner, right from the grass root level, so that each child grows up to be an asset for the country. Join in the efforts of NGOs and be a part of nation-building.

World NGO Day - Contributing to the Cause

In an effort to honour and encourage the generous services of the NGOs, 27th February is commemorated as the World NGO Day. It is an annual event celebrated globally by various organisations, communities, and leaders. With the universal concept of Celebrate, Commemorate and Collaborate, the first World NGO Day was first celebrated on 27th February 2014 with the intention to motivate people to get involved more actively with the activities of various NGOs and also create a synergy between NGOs and other sectors and communities. This day also gives an opportunity to appreciate the efforts of those NGOs who excel in their service making them top NGO in their specific segment.

NGOs play an all-encompassing role in the well-being and sustainability of the entire society. NGOs are legally constituted private organisations or groups that work independently from any form of government, i.e. they are not managed or owned by the government or government representatives. The NGOs reflect upon various issues and work in tandem with larger organisations like UN, UNESCO etc. and also receive aid from individual volunteers and corporate supporters. The role of NGOs is significantly important because:

- Their services range from social development, human development, health, skill development, environment to animal rights, and more.
- NGOs work at all levels – local, national, international – thereby being to cater to the needs from the grass root level to the global level
- The operational structure of NGOs enables organisations to get involved more closely with their respective causes resulting in a more focussed way of dealing with an issue.

One such organisation working towards improving child nutrition and education is The Akshaya Patra Foundation, an Indian NGO implementing the Mid-Day Meal Scheme across 12 states in the country. With the vision of ‘No child in India shall be deprived of education because of hunger’ this organisation steers all its effort to maximise the potential of technology and resources towards providing nutritious and wholesome meals to school children. The Foundation has been ranked 23rd among the top 100 NGOs featured in the 2013 edition of The Global Journal titled ‘Top 100 NGOs Annual Ranking’. Since its inception in 2000, this top NGO has achieved many important milestones such as:

• Akshaya Patra is the first organisation to enter into a Public-Private Partnership in the mid-day meal programme sector by signing a MoU with the Government of Karnataka.
• Along with mechanised and centralised kitchens, Akshaya Patra also has a well-structured network of decentralised kitchens to serve mid-day meals in remote areas like Baran in Rajasthan and Nayagarh in Odisha.
• In 2006, Akshaya Patra was considered as a case study at the prestigious Harvard Business School as part of its MBA curriculum.
• Setting an example for accountability, Akshaya Patra became the first NGO to comply with the IFRS and also the winner of the Gold Shield for Excellence in Financial Reporting by the ICAI for five consecutive years.
• Entered the India Book of Records for running the world's largest school meal programme.
• Akshaya Patra proudly hosted His Holiness The 14th Dalai Lama, Former President of the United States of America, Bill Clinton, Former President of India Pranab Mukherjee among other noted dignitaries.
• Out of 34 centralised kitchens, 15 kitchens are ISO 22000:2005 certified.
• Presently, Akshaya Patra is impacting the lives of 16,75,008 children in 13,839 schools across 12 states in India.

Akshaya Patra is at a watershed moment and aims to feed 5 million children by 2020. The Foundation believes that it is an achievable aspiration provided there is equal involvement of the society and hence has provided several platforms to get involved with the cause. As a supporter, one can choose to donate online, sponsor a child, school, kitchen, or a meal delivery vehicle. Supporters can also initiate an online campaign in support of the cause. All donors will be eligible to avail 80G deduction under the Income Tax Act. So, this World NGO Day come forward and donate for the Akshaya Patra’s Mid-Day Meal Programme and save tax on your hard earned money too!

Fight Classroom Hunger, but the right way

Fighting malnutrition, especially among children, is now a challenge that transcends all classes of society and regions. But, a significant proportion of school-going children in India now need not worry as they are now able to escape the scourge of hunger and malnutrition, thanks to the efforts of The Akshaya Patra Foundation.

The food supplied from the 34 kitchens of Akshaya Patra across the country is not merely cooked to fill the stomachs, but it is a wholesome balanced meal that supplies all the necessary nutrition. The food that the children get in their mid-day meals are fortified with the required nutrients necessary for both physical and mental development of children. The food is fortified with nutrients like vitamin A, B vitamins, vitamin D, folic acid, iodine and iron. Food fortification is done to decrease the occurrence of nutrient deficiencies. It is extremely important for children in their growing years to get these nutrients in their food.

You could play a role in this endeavour by donating for education in India and ensuring that children from across the country benefit, both in terms of their dietary needs as well as their educational needs.

Philosophies driving the kitchens

With its primary aim to supply high quality and safe food from its 34 kitchens, Akshaya Patra has introduced various metrics in every area of its operations and service delivery. It has partnered with different organisations to review the quality of its mid-day meals prepared and served to more than 1.6 million children every day. To maintain the quality of the meal, it has standardised the recipes.

Say Kaizen and 5S, the Japanese business philosophies, and the ones that come into your mind would be corporate majors like Toyota. But, it's part and parcel of Akshaya Patra's kitchen operations. To improve the quality standards, Japanese management technique of Kaizen and 5S, the method of workplace organisation that uses five Japanese words: seiri, seiton, seiso, seiketsu, and shitsuke. They describe ways to organise a workspace for efficiency and effectiveness by identifying and storing the items used. With the Foundation focused on Employee Health and Safety too, it holds activities to increase the hygiene standards and improve safety and health.

A top NGO like Akshaya Patra which has the wherewithal to ensure the food is balanced, can be trusted in ensuring that the children get the right kind of meals. A meal that is not well-balanced would result in children growing up malnourished. A food without the micro-nutrients would affect the mental development of children too and its impact would be visible in adulthood.

Keeping Children healthy

With the government having so many things to focus on, NGOs have a role in ensuring that the ills caused by unhealthy foods are taught to children and their parents to ensure they get the right kind of food.

The Foundation, over the last 17 years, has been continuously trying to reach as many children as possible. Today it feeds over 1.6 million children across 12 states in the country.

Spend Free Time Fruitfully With Different Fundraising Ideas

You may or may not have a hobby but you sure do get some free time once in a while. Since free time doesn’t come by so easily, it becomes crucial how you make that time worthwhile. One of the ways to make it count is to indulge in exploring different fundraising ideas towards causes such as education, food, nutrition, hygiene, environment or the likes. We give you some fun fundraising ideas that you may want to indulge into during your free time. 

Food truck 

If you feel strongly for eradicating hunger, you may arrange an old vehicle and sell home-made food in your vicinity. The truck must carry the message of saving food for the hungry and the proceeds gathered should go as a charity donation towards feeding the hungry. You may choose this non-profit fundraising idea for organisations such as The Akshaya Patra Foundation an NGO in India that feeds wholesome lunch to school children. 

Host a marathon

People are usually interested in events that combine charity donation with fitness. Today, it’s easy to organise a marathon through social media channels in a small city or town. Marathon has become one of the best non-profit fundraising ideas that communities have utilised towards charity donation. You can raise funds by keeping a minimal entry fees that would be used towards awarding the winners while the remaining would go to a charity. 

Host a cycling expedition 

This is another low investment and non-profit fundraising idea that can be executed easily. Create a Facebook group of cycling enthusiasts in your city. When you reach a 100-member mark, ask the members to pick a day for cycling expedition. Spell out the purpose of the expedition as an attempt for charity donation for causes such as education, hunger, environment, etc. Raise funds through entry fee so proceeds could go as donation to a charity. You may also urge the members to contribute directly to the charity by informing them about tax exemption in India in case of charity donations. 

Viral challenge

Of course, nothing can be as successful as the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge but it proved that social media challenges can be made viral. Organise a fun activity such as taking three floors by stairs or balancing a vessel on the head. Make a video and post it with the right hashtags such as #ChallengeForCharityDonation or #TakeTheCharityChallenge. One of the conditions of participating is that the person taking the challenge should donate a minimum amount to charity donation through online donation or create an online fundraising campaign towards education. The participants need to attach a screenshot of the receipt or proof of such charity donation or fundraising in the comments section. This non-profit fundraising idea inspires a local community towards the importance of fundraising for non-profit organisations and causes.

Organise a carnival 

If you live in a city that’s known for things like food, snacks, sareers, handicrafts or any fun cultural reasons, you can organise a local carnival. Carnivals especially organised for non-profit fundraising are sure to attract a lot of people, especially children. You may ask housewives or children to organise stalls and sell their products. Be transparent about where the proceeds would go to so everyone takes it in good spirit. 

The Akshaya Patra Foundation encourages all those people who cannot contribute regularly by money to indulge in online fundraising campaigns. The charity donations with the foundation enjoy tax exemption as per laws in India, thus, people can freely raise funds through encouraging others to donate. Fundraise today.

Corporate social responsibility takes the shape of charity

Charity donations in the form of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) channelise resources in the direction of vital causes led by charitable organisations in India. CSR is no more a dreary meaningless formal exercise conducted by companies to show on paper. It’s becoming an active way to give back to the community and has helped several NGOs in India get resources for their work.

The two important Sustainable Development Goals that are crucial for India are (i) Zero Hunger and (ii) Quality Education. Akshaya Patra, an NGO in India, has a relevant vision. The organisation aims at feeding children in India while also ensuring that they go to school. This NGO provides wholesome lunch to school children in India with an objective of bringing them back to education.

Thus organisations looking for making a positive contribution in the SDGs have much scope in joining hands with Akshaya Patra. Here are some of the ways through which corporate organisations may begin to contribute for the cause:

- Strategic philanthropy through charity donations

- Cause-marketing initiatives 

- Events and sponsorships 

- Innovations and project solutions for children 

Akshaya Patra has corporate partners such as Infosys, The Landmark Group, General Industrial Controls, the Jewellery Channel, Hindustan Petroleum, and more who are helping children in various parts of the country in getting nutritious meals in schools. 

In India millions of children are on the brink of becoming victims of malnourishment because of inflation. According to a recent report by UNESCO, 17.7 million children in India are out of school. Organisations like Akshaya Patra are directly addressing these challenges by actively contributing in the cause of incentivising education. 

Charitable organisations in India need not only partners for charitable donations but also companions in devising strategies for addressing complex problems. Akshaya Patra has been benefitted by the CSR initiatives of many such corporate partners who have helped the foundation at several levels from charity donations to volunteering, donating kitchens to helping in the delivery of nutritious meals.  

And this contribution has paid off over the years. Akshaya Patra now has the world’s largest NGO-run mid-day meal programme serving wholesome lunch to over 1.6 million children in 13,636 schools across 12 states in India. Its state-of-the-art kitchens have won several awards for innovation and have been widely studied around the world. But most of all it’s the people who take part in CSR initiatives who find it so fulfilling to be a part of such a cause. Hundreds of volunteers from several corporate organisations willingly and happily lend a helping hand in serving meals or helping at other stages of the programme. 

Many organisations choose to contribute by event sponsorships and help us organise meaningful events involving more people to understand this cause. Akshaya Patra offers many CSR opportunities to corporates who are willing to contribute for the future of this country. Get involved today.

On This Day of Happiness It’s Your Turn to Make a Child Happy!

Do you feel good after helping somebody? We’ve heard of many stories of happiness – helping the elderly cross the road, giving up seats for those in need, donating books to a family, and many more! Most stories are about finding kindness in strangers and many such incidents teach us the meaning of inner joy.

International Day of Happiness 2017 is here which aims to create a happier world together. As we celebrate the day of happiness on March 10, 2017, we would like to highlight two important actions that can give you abundant happiness! In her book ’10 Keys to Happier Living’ Vanessa King talks about 10 different actions that you can take to live a happier life. These actions, in short, are called Great Dream; G stands for Giving and M stands for Meaning.

We believe every child deserves to be happy and experience the innocence of childhood. As an NGO in India providing mid-day meals to school children from government schools and government-aided schools, we have made a difference by serving over 2 billion meals in the last 16 years. Today, we would like to elaborate on Vanessa King’s book and talk about the two actions that can help us build a happier society by immersing in the feeling ourselves.

Giving

According to Action for Happiness movement, ‘Giving’ means ‘doing things for others’ and has been described as “Helping others is not only good for them and a good thing to do; it also makes us happier and healthier too. Giving also connects us to others, creating stronger communities and helping to build a happier society for everyone. And it's not all about money - we can also give our time, ideas and energy. So if you want to feel good, do good!”

Meaning

Action for Happiness movement describes it as to ‘be a part of something bigger’. In Vanessa’s words, “It might be our religious faith, being a parent or doing a job that makes a difference. The answers vary for each of us but they all involve being connected to something bigger than ourselves.”

Combining two of Vanessa’s suggestions for a happier life, Akshaya Patra urges you to give children a happier life. We believe two things should not be robbed from childhood – food and education. To ensure this, Akshaya Patra began Food for Education programme in the year 2000 and today, we are the world’s largest NGO-run feeding programme.

Sponsor a child today and tell us what happiness is for a child because it’s your turn to make a difference. Your donations to our charity will give you a 100% tax exemption. However, you are also welcome individuals to volunteer in our kitchens and schools.

16 Years Ago, Akshaya Patra Began a Journey of Hope

It’s been 16 years and 16 lakh children are being benefitted through Food for Education initiative. On this yet another milestone, we would like to say Thank You!

The Mid-Day Meal Programme – Unlimited Food for Education, began in the year 2000 serving 1,500 children in Bengaluru. Today, over 1.6 million children across the length and breadth of India are supported by this initiative. Akshaya Patra’s journey was inspired by Srila Prabhupada’s compassionate vision that ‘No child should be deprived of education because of hunger.’

For Akshaya Patra, innovation has always been one of the driving forces. With advanced technology implemented kitchens, we are able to feed a large number of children. For instance, roti making machine has the capacity to churn out 200,000 rotis from 6000 kg of wheat flour. With help from Central and State Governments, the organisation has been able to expand its service in many states across 11 states in India. The organisation has also achieved many milestones and won prestigious awards that recognise its contribution in the development sector; the recent one was Nikkei Asia Prize for significant achievements in ‘Economic and Business Innovation’ category. Apart from feeding programme to feed the hungry, the organisation continues to conduct activities in schools such as health check-up camps, distribution of hygiene kits, school shoes and bags, and other initiatives that encourage a child to continue education.

Akshaya Patra’s 16 years of relentless efforts was founded with determination and compassion. We believe this journey will continue to impact many more children in the coming years. This year, as we also complete the serving of 2 Billion Meals, the Foundation acknowledges the outpouring support it has received over the last few years.

Let us pledge to support children’s education and health for a heal thier future!

The Different Techniques to Ensure Children Enjoy School

Children change their minds more quickly than grown-ups. One moment, they have an urge to play, another moment, they want to eat something specific. What’s the key to keep them motivated for school without repelling them from certain subjects? At Akshaya Patra, an NGO in India, we have first-hand experience of coping with this during the Mid-day Meal Programme run in schools in collaboration with the government.  Here’s what we have tried and tested over the years. We are happy to share this little piece of wisdom with parents who often struggle to send their kids to school.  

Fun enforcement or no enforcement 

Make sure that you learn to bite your tongue when children refrain from going to school. While it’s good to hear their reasons, you must also be able to tell when a child is only playing you. Count the things your child loves about school. It could be friends or a games period or a drawing class. If you really know what your kid is interested in, you will know what to say when sending them off to school. For instance, reward your children when they agree to go to school without tantrums. At Akshaya Patra, we encourage children to come to school so they have nutritious meals. Our sponsors who often donate for education in India find it fascinating how our volunteers and staff keep the children always excited for mid-day meals in schools.

Appreciation

Children have a forgiving heart and so they won’t hold a grudge that you sent them to school without their will. Most likely, they will not even remember it. So make sure you develop a habit of praising your child for any big or small achievement in class. Always be a proud parent and get your kids interested in extra-curricular activities. 

Plan sumptuous lunch

We have seen mothers who would cook sumptuous and nutritious lunch as a motivating factor for the children to eat during school. Akshaya Patra’s Mid-day Meal Programme in schools ensures that the lunch served is full of vegetables, proteins, dairy, grains, oils and nutrients. Just the whole excitement of opening the lunch box during school often gets children excited about school. 

Assure help in homework

Often children find school dreary and a burden due to the homework. They often feel overwhelmed and scared. Always be the parent who makes homework a team activity. Ensure you are always around to guide, instruct and help the child as he or she sits down for homework. That would assure the child of an ever-present help and would motivate them to look forward to school. 

Akshaya Patra is an NGO in India that has been running Mid-Day Meals Programme in schools since 2000. One of our biggest lessons during this programme over the years has been that children need motivation at every step in their lives. As for the Mid-Day Meal Programme, the organisation is working towards building a sustainable network of kitchens to reach five million children by 2020. If you are someone who is considering donating for education in India, you are welcome to join our mission.

NetApp and Akshaya Patra Join Hands

On July 12, 2016, The Akshaya Patra Foundation, an NGO in India welcomed NetApp to its VK Hill kitchen in Bengaluru to recognise their corporate-NGO partnership.

NetApp, a multinational data storage and cloud solutions company, donated insulated vessels along with other items to Akshaya Patra to facilitate operations. The event on Tuesday commenced with lighting of the lamp and a tour of the Vasanthpura kitchen facility. Apart from NGO donations, nearly 40 volunteers from NetApp visit Akshaya Patra on a monthly basis and contribute towards pre-processing activities in the kitchen. Volunteers spend the day cleaning cauldrons and vessels, segregating pulses, and dehusking coconuts.

NetApp employees visited Kaggalipura High School in Bengaluru on the same day and shared mid-day meals with over 400 students. During the visit, the beneficiary children received many chocolates and stationery kits which elated their mood. “It was an unbelievable experience to see what it takes to do. We are glad to be associated with Akshaya Patra and would like to go a long way and lend support in all possible ways,” said Deepak Visweswaraiah – VP Engineering and Managing Director, NetApp India.

Harish Arora - VP, NB ONTAP Engineering and Sonali De Sarker - Director, Human Resources were highly impressed with the food safety methodology and hygiene which are a priority in all Akshaya Patra’s kitchens. A first-time volunteer, Srinivas BK said, “Seeing the smiles on their faces made my day.” Other volunteers shared similar insights and described their experience as unique, satisfying and fulfilling. 

After a vote of thanks by Vinay N Kumar, Director – Operations and Sundeep Talwar, Chief Marketing Officer on behalf of Akshaya Patra, the meaningful event was closed. The Foundation is thankful to NetApp for their contribution towards the mid-day meal programme and looks forward to building a hunger-free nation by feeding the future. 

Source: www.akshayapatra.org/events/netapp-partners-with-akshaya-patra

Looking into the beneficiaries of Akshaya Patra

An NGO in India is providing nutritious food for children every day. What is the impact of the endeavour? You have to meet a few children to decide for yourself. The Akshaya Patra Foundation currently feeds millions of children in its effort to eliminate classroom hunger. It also tries to make a direct connection with the beneficiary children— look into their lives, know more about them and see if the programme of delivering school meals every day is helping them or not.

Let’s meet Yashoda, a 12-year-old girl with an aspiration to become a teacher. She is bright student and one of the toppers in her batch. She had recently lost her father. Yashoda’s mother, a home maker till the demise of her husband, has started working at a garment industry to support the family. Yashoda says, “My father’s wish was that I become a lecturer at a college and educate students. He inspired me and I want to do my best.” She is determined to become a teacher. Yashoda also wants to help society. She wants to educate the less fortunate too when she becomes a teacher. Akshaya Patra serves nutritious mid-day meal at her school every day and she loves pulao. She is also aware that the vegetables served by Akshaya Patra are good for health.

Know more about Yashoda @ Akshaya Patra Beneficiary

Now let’s say cheers to Venu who never misses school on Thursday because of Aloo (Potato) Biryani (mixed rice dish) served by Akshaya Patra on that day every week. Normally Venu likes the food provided by Akshaya Patra every day but, Biryani is his favourite. Venu is a fifth standard student who likes English and wants to be an engineer. He is a bright, hardworking boy whose younger brother and elder sister are also studying at the same school. This means all the siblings are beneficiaries of the Mid-Day Meal Programme.

Know more about Venu @ Stories of Children

Before making a closing note it better to meet another child. Here is Soujanya, an eighth standard class topper, who loves maths and aspires to become a maths teacher. Her amity with numbers started at an early age when she realised she is good with it. She wants to be perfect with the subject. About Akshaya Patra, she says, “I’m lucky to have the meals. It is nutritious and tasty. It helps me concentrate in class.” She is particularly fond of the fruits and loves the biryani served every Thursday.

Know more about Soujanya @ Akshaya Patra Success stories of Children

Think about stories of millions of children like Yashoda, Venu and Soujanya. Many of these children generally belong to economically challenged family backgrounds. A nutritious meal at school every day is a relief to the families too, knowing that their children are well fed in school. Children need good nutrition at this time in their lives for proper growth and cognitive development. It’s a crucial time which is never coming back. If we have to do something, we have to do it now!

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What drives people to connect and contribute to a NGO?

What is the NGO all about? What does it do? Is it making a difference? How is it using funds in what it does? Why is it doing, what it does? Can it be trusted? These are a few of the palpable questions in one’s mind before making decision to act upon supporting a NGO.

 As Akshaya Patra, as a world renowned NGO, what is the impact we are generating to make people act and help it make a change? What is our identity? It says we run the world largest NGO-run mid-day meal programme. The answer itself gives birth to many more questions which need to be answered. Are we building a personal connect with the people? When we say we are feeding millions of children in an effort to eliminate classroom hunger. When we say we nourish minds and nurture dreams. When we say we provide unlimited food for education. Are those enough to paint a real picture?

Questions need to be answered at the right time with the right information so the organisation stands out amongst other. Many people support because they connect with the work Akshaya Patra does. Helping children every day with nutritious food, yes! It builds that connection with many people. But there are others who look in for more before they decide to lend a hand. Some try to find out what’s in for them. One may say,

“Yes! I am making a difference in children’s lives for the better is good enough for me.”

Or the fact that one get 100% tax exemption when one makes a donation above rs.500 make a positive impact to react. Or issues The Akshaya Patra Foundation is constantly trying to mitigate make one extend a helping hand. Some people asked about how the funds are spent, and Akshaya Patra has proper and unadulterated answers which make people get a clear picture. That does make a good impression. Akshaya Patra is the only NGO to be inducted in the ICAI Hall of Fame for winning the Gold Shield Award for Excellence in Financial Reporting five years in a row. That shows the commitment the organisation has on being transparent.

Akshaya Patra as an NGO in India needs to answer any and every questions related to its work and cause because that is what will drive people to connect and contribute to the organisation.

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Charity and festivity

India is known for its varied culture and festivities. Aside the regular festivals it is also a destination for splendid weddings and receptions. Not just Indians but foreign nationals too choose India to be the address for their weddings. Behind the brighter appearance of these celebrations and festivals, there exists a gripping reality of enormous food wastage and concerning hunger struck population.

To slightly mitigate the two stark situations, there are NGOs that work towards procuring the left-over food of the celebrations and distribute among the needy. However, this does not provide a permanent solution to the hunger situation prevailing in the country. The Akshaya Patra Foundation is a NGO that implements the mid-day meal programme across Government schools in India. This Foundation prepares fresh and nutritious meals for Government school children. It also provides meals at Anganwadi centres under the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS). Akshaya Patra has observed that to tackle the critical situation of hunger it has to be dealt with at the root cause i.e. poverty. Thus, by providing mid-day meal to children it also incentivises the child to attend school regularly which in turn allows the child to receive education. In line with this, Akshaya Patra ensures that the meal served should meet the local palate of the children.

Having been implementing the midday meal programme well over a decade, Akshaya Patra has amply gauged the potential of societal involvement in countering hunger and promoting education thereby resulting in eradication of poverty. Thus Akshaya Patra has made available the platform to volunteer and contribute in all possible ways. One of the ways to get involved with the activities of the Foundation is to make a charity during festivals and celebrations like weddings, birthdays, success parties and the like. As we gear up for celebrations, more often than not we miss out to consider our counterparts who struggle each day to get a plateful of meal. Remaining sensitive to the basic need of food, you can choose to make a donation for the underserved children as you revel in your festivity.

Your contribution will be a gift for the millions of children who too hopes to on day break the shackles of poverty, hunger and illiteracy.

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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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