Donate to charities like Akshaya Patra to prevent food wastage

In a nation where millions of people do not have access to even clean drinking water, around 25 per cent of the fresh water used to produce food is wasted, it should shock many of us awake if we calculate the astonishing figures. It has been estimated to be equivalent to an average river flowing in India.

An estimate by the US's Department of Agriculture, though the world produces enough food to feed twice the present population, food wastage is behind malnourishment of millions of people across many countries. The number of hungry people in India has increased by 65 million, according to the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO). This number is as much as or more than many of the other nations.

One of the NGOs in Bangalore, The Akshaya Patra Foundation, has been making all efforts to minimise the wastage of food in the running of its school lunch programme; starting with the way they are stored, to the way they are cooked and distributed.

Land use

Hundreds of thousands of acres of land are deforested to grow food every year. Approximately, 45 per cent of India’s land is degraded, primarily due to deforestation, unsustainable agricultural practices and excessive groundwater use to meet the demand for food. In the last two years, though, India has retained and increased its forest area by more than 14,000 hectares (second largest after China).

A shocking story is that of the nation having edible oil as its third largest import. But, the wastage of food is said to lead to around 300 million barrels of oil used to produce food ultimately going waste due to the wastage of such food. According to a paper, India is said to waste as much food as that consumed by the United Kingdom.

This is not a palatable statistic when we realise that millions still sleep hungry on the streets

Tackling the Food Wastage

According to the UN body of Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), food wastage is fast assuming serious dimensions. According to an FAO statistic, a staggering 1.3 billion tonnes of food is wasted annually.

Many of the social reasons also play a role in this. All the social functions and social joints in India, especially in the northern and central parts, functions such as weddings, the canteens, hotels, social and family functions, households, end up wasting a lot of food.

The money one may spend in buying the food which goes unutilised can be used to sponsor a child instead. It is to be noted that food wastage can cripple a country’s economy much more seriously than we realise.

The world's largest NGO-run mid-day meal programme serves wholesome school lunch to over 1.6 million children in 13,800+ schools across 12 States in India. This amount can be used to feed the starving millions in the country.

One could donate to charity to help causes like the one supported by Akshaya Patra.

While we may not be able to reduce food lost during production, we can certainly reduce food wastage at our personal level.

How Children in Telangana Benefit from the Mid-Day Meal Scheme

The menu of the mid-day meal being served in Telangana schools is a formidable example of how healthy food catered to children should be. Nutritious meals help children in fighting hidden hunger because they take care of essential minerals and vitamins that are important for the growth of a child.

The Mid-Day Meal Scheme is run by The Akshaya Patra Foundation in Telangana. The menu of the mid-day meal comprises of pulses such as toor dal, fortified soy dal, green gram whole, urad dal, peas, moong dal, cow pea, green gram sprouts, soy products like- chunks, flakes, gram dal, bengal gram whole, channa dal, etc.

These are high in fibre, low in fat and have complex carbohydrates which is healthy for the body. Pulses provide folate that is known for lowering homocysteine levels. It has been proven that high homocysteine levels damage the lining of arteries and promotes plaque build-up and blood clots. Eventually, this kind of damage can block blood flow to the heart or brain. Thus, when pulses are served to children from an early age, they develop stronger folate levels that fight the risk of heart attack as the children grow.

Children charity The Akshaya Patra Foundation is observing Hunger Action Month, as part of which, they are aiming at fighting against hidden hunger. In India, many children are deprived of nutritious meal. As a result, their growth remains stunted. A child is known to be suffering from hidden hunger when he is deprived of a wholesome meal.

At Akshaya Patra, the menu of mid-day meal is designed with utmost care, in order to make the food tasty and healthy. The menu is changed every day so that the children relish it with equal enthusiasm. Pulses form an integral part of the mid-day meal scheme in Telangana. They are also a rich source of iron, calcium, magnesium, zinc and potassium.

While serving these mid-day meals to children in Telengana, the Foundation ensures that the food is cooked in hygienic conditions. The Foundation’s state-of-the-art kitchens which are equipped with latest technology enable the employees to cook food using a systematic procedure. It currently has 33 kitchens across the country. Over 1.6 million children benefit from this initiative.

Children need a lot of energy in their adolescence as they participate in a lot of sports. A meal that’s rich in pulses helps regulate the energy levels and manage digestive system. The meals served to children have enough nutritious value to ensure that the body gets a slow-burning and steady energy supply. The iron content in these diets helps transporting oxygen into the body which in turn boosts energy production and metabolism.

The mid-day meal scheme in Telengana aims at providing considerable amount of wholesome lunch to school children. The children’s charity is ensuring that children coming to Government and Government-aided schools don’t go home hungry.

If you wish to join hands in the mission, be a part of this cause and donate to charity today.

How will India change if we feed 5 million children

The Akshaya Patra Foundation is an NGO in Bangalore that provides wholesome school lunch to children. This NGO lets you do online fundraising for serving children and makes sure that all the money is diligently spent for their benefit. So if this organisation can be so dedicated to create a better future for the ambitious children, thereby, contributing in country’s growth, why can’t we support them in a way that’s as easy and quick as a few clicks?

By donating to charity, we are helping to create a better and brighter future for India. Know how: 

1. Achieving the two most critical sustainable goals

Through this non-profit programme of serving unlimited food for education and defeating hunger, Akshaya Patra aims to achieve the two most critical sustainable goals: Zero Hunger and Quality Education. The NGO is working toward it with all sincerity and commitment and that’s why it has had such a great impact. Akshaya Patra calls out each one of us to make a little contribution toward achieving this goal by donating to charity or coming up with other non-profit fundraising ideas.

2. Reduced poverty

Poverty itself is a cause of poverty. The economically backward people stay backward because they do not have the means to uplift themselves. The children in such families have to do menial jobs in order to meet their ends. The mission of this foundation is to serve and impact 5 million such children by 2020 so that they’re not deprived of education because of classroom hunger. When this goal is achieved, we may come up with 5 million more educated minds, who would be capable enough to do good work, earn sufficiently and lead better lives. Coming up with non-profit fundraising ideas or donating to charity is how you can do your bit for this cause.

3. A strong stand against all other national challenges

Nelson Mandela described education as the most powerful weapon that you can use to change the world. It is indeed the right key to eliminate problems like gender inequality, corruption, racism, crime from our societies and foster peace. Akshaya Patra believes that by achieving their goal of serving 5 million children by 2020, they can greatly help in eradicating these problems that hinder personal, societal and national growth. The NGO, for achieving its goal, calls for non-profit fundraising ideas, online fundraising and also has other volunteering, partnership and CSR opportunities.

So let’s support this cause, give children a gift of a lifetime, and make a difference to their lives. Create a fundraising campaign or donate to charity now!

We need your support for a new academic year!

If there’s one thing that parents dread, it’s convincing their children to get ready for a new academic year, especially after a good summer vacation. A new year can be fascinating but children always tend to be reluctant in giving up the carefree summer routine. On the other hand, there are many children who are eagerly waiting for school to begin because their lunch is taken care of. 

Akshaya Patra’s Mid-Day Meal Programme is currently available in 11 states including Assam, Maharashtra, and Uttar Pradesh. But before the schools re-open, the Foundation is looking forward to donors’ charity support which will ultimately help millions of children.

What is Akshaya Patra’s role as an NGO?

With a mission to end classroom hunger, Akshaya Patra began its initiative called the Mid-Day Meal Programme. If the students are provided an incentive to attend school, they get encouraged to complete their education. Its meals constitute a balanced diet that’s delicious and motivates the kids to attend the classes every day. This venture is spread across 11 states today. Akshaya Patra also feeds the hungry in Uttar Pradesh where the percentage of undernourished kids is high. 

How can you support us?

Because undernourishment and illiteracy are social problems, their eradication plans would inevitably involve the contribution of society. There are a number of ways by which we can help the efforts to ensure maximum attendance of kids in school. Donors have the option of sponsoring a school for a year, fundraising or simply donating some amount to charity and help in feeding the children.

As the schools reopen in a few months, remember that there are a whole lot of children who are in need of nutritious food. This is possible with your support towards Food for Education initiative by Akshaya Patra – an effort to aid 13,577 government schools in India. 

To encourage children to attend school, Akshaya Patra urges people to donate to charity, and most importantly, for the betterment of the future.

Five Reasons Why You Should Invest in Education

‘An investment in knowledge pays the best interest’ – these wise words of Benjamin Franklin, one of the Founding Fathers of The United States of America, are timelessly true. Education is the most important tool for the pursuit of knowledge. School education in particular, is of paramount importance in shaping young hearts and minds and securing a bright future for them. Keeping the flame of education alive, though, needs collective effort and significant investment. One way to invest in education is to donate to charity, towards organisations that work towards it. The Akshaya Patra Foundation, an NGO that supports the cause of ‘food for education’, serving nutritious mid-day meals to over 1.6 million children across India, strives to keep the light of education burning in the lives of its school children.

Why, you ask, is investment in education so important? Here are five reasons for it:

To secure the future of children

Children are the future and they deserve a tomorrow that comes with financial, physical and emotional security. Education is a means towards this end. It boosts future prospects, encourages their dreams and empowers them to pursue them. Without it, job security and quality employment are difficult to come by and the scope for advancement is limited.

Education breeds gender equality

The world and all the wonderful opportunities it presents, is for both, men and women to inherit. Education plays an important part in freeing people from the shackles of restrictive, outdated mindsets. As the popular saying goes, ‘if you educate a girl, you educate the entire family’. Well-educated adults, thus, challenge traditional gender roles and help create a fairer, more gender-equal world.

A tool for nation-building

If a nation has to progress – economically and socially – education is the first necessity that needs to be met. A well-qualified workforce is a formidable asset that attracts and multiplies investment in the country, leading to more jobs, higher incomes, better standards of living and greater prosperity for the nation. It also leads to a rise in a country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). A sense of pride develops among citizens when a nation progresses impressively and provides them with great motivation to strive for its further development.

Leads to a healthier population

Education brings knowledge of health and hygiene. Healthy practices in daily life are adopted by well-educated people, since they are made aware and convinced of the rationale behind them. Be it everyday practices, issues related to maternal and child health, or general awareness about steps to take to ensure a healthier future – education is greatly instrumental in teaching people about the same.

It gives back to the giver

Donating to charity benefits the donor as well – it avails them income tax exemption. Under sections 35AC and 80GGA of the Income Tax Act 1961, every donation upwards of Rs 500 made to a registered non-profit organisation, is eligible for 100% tax exemption. Isn’t it wonderful, the fact that investing in education avails tax benefits for the one making the donation?

Education, thus, is the need of the hour and Akshaya Patra is striving hard to ensure that no child is deprived of it due to hunger. So, make the decision to the cause of ‘unlimited food for education’ and make a donation towards it now.

This Summer, Connect with Children and Gift Them a New Academic Year!

When you were in school, how did your summer vacation begin? It would probably begin with you saying goodbye to your friends and classmates but with an expectation that you would see them again. The holidays are fun and exciting but it is also nerve-racking to go back to school for the next level. While this is the norm, there are many children in India who do not get the opportunity to return to school. In other words, they drop out of school due to economic instability.

What causes children to drop out of school?

In this article, we have highlighted two issues (among many factors) that cause a child to drop out of school. While majority of children drop out due to migration, there are children who drop out of school due to financial difficulties in the family. 

(i) Migration: Also means relocation. For example, if and when the family moves to a different city or town on work prospects, they get their child enrolled in a school. After the work contract is complete, the family may decide to move to another town in search of income. This directly affects the child who is (not in all cases) forced to drop out of school before completing the academic year. In another scenario, although the child has completed the academic year, he or she does not get the opportunity to return to the same school. 

(ii) Financial Security: One of the main reasons for a child to drop out of school is because they would like to look out for other prospects; prospects that can help their family financially. School lunch programme has proved to stabilize these families as one meal is guaranteed for the child. Mid-day meal encourages children to continue education while their one square meal is taken care of.

These issues can affect children during the learning phase and in the future. According to MHRD report for 2014-15, the dropout rate for primary level was 4.34 per cent. Although there has been a drastic decrease in drop out and increase in enrolment rate, we need to change the situation for 4.34 per cent of children. To resolve these issues, the government has brought into effect several schemes and one of them is Mid-Day Meal Programme. Working along with government, Akshaya Patra’s Food for Education initiative has been reaching out to millions of school children every day. This NGO in Karnataka began its mid-day meal operations in Bengaluru in the year 2000. In 2016, the Foundation completed the serving of 2 Billion mid-day meals and this milestone was acknowledged by the President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee. 

You can show your support by donating to charity and sponsoring a child for a year! By contributing to Akshaya Patra, you will also receive 100% income tax exemption.

Celebrating Daan Utsav 2016

Daan Utsav – Joy of Giving Week 2016 is here! This week-long event brings many individuals a step closer to donate to charity and helps in making a difference in society. Through noble acts of giving, India’s biggest philanthropic festival inculcates kindness among all of us.

There’s a lot we can do to witness change and we believe change begins with you. Joy of Giving Week is one such platform that gives you opportunities to donate, make a difference and take with you a lasting pride of having contributed to society. Happiness is, after all, an act of giving.

About Akshaya Patra

The Akshaya Patra Foundation, a Bengaluru-based children’s NGO, spreads joy with every meal served. After implementing its Mid-Day Meal Programme in 2000, the organisation’s beneficiary base has increased from 1,500 children to over 1.6 million children. In the last 16 years of its compassionate journey, Akshaya Patra has transformed the lives of many school children. This Daan Utsav, Akshaya Patra pledges to spread happiness with every meal. Help us enable more children to attend school – join us on the mission to feed 5 million children by 2020!

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Every day is a fresh start for school children and teachers. Their days are packed with classes, lessons, assignments, tests, physical activities and so on. A break during the day is where Akshaya Patra comes in – serving nutritious mid-day meals to these enthusiastic children who fearlessly dream of their future. Mid-day meals bring joy.

While India celebrates Joy of Giving week, read these testimonials by Akshaya Patra’s beneficiaries – every testimonial is an assurance that Mid-Day Meal Programme is indeed a boon for children.

“Joining the army will bring me a sense of pride. To fight for the country is the duty of every citizen in India. My dream started with my History lessons, where I was inspired by the many freedom fighters during India’s war for Independence. Many have fought for this country. Why can’t I do the same? I feel I am indebted to my country and I would like to serve my nation as an army officer. I love Akshaya Patra food for it gives me strength.”

- Darshan, Karnataka

“I enjoy the Akshaya Patra mid-day meal on all days but my favourite is Wednesdays and Saturdays. We get pulao, khichdi and kheer, which are my favourites. At home, my mother doesn’t cook these delicacies because we can’t afford it. When I grow up, I want to become an actress and act in Assamese movies. Someday, I want to travel the world with my family.”

- Pithali, Assam

“The mid-day meal has been a great relief for the parents. They feel that the children will at least get a nutritious meal if they attend school. Though the menu changes every day, the students look forward to eating dal-chawal, dal-dhokli, khichdi and sukhdi served by The Akshaya Patra Foundation. The children are able to enjoy the teaching process, since they are more attentive in class. They actively take part in various inter school sports activities too. The Mid-Day Meal Programme has positively impacted the children’s health in school.”

- Reshmi Patel, Teacher, Gujarat

Read all the stories at our website: Joy of Giving Week

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India’s biggest philanthropic event ends in a few days. Let’s take this opportunity to make a difference by donating to charity. Get involved in a cause today.

Giving – A Hallmark of the Extraordinary

In these times of fast cars and faster jobs, a sense of forlornly meandering through a mindless existence often sets in. Leisure, pleasure and privilege often find themselves helpless against this undercurrent. One thing, done in however small a quantity, that always warms the spirit and lifts it, is the act of giving. Those who feed the hungry or donate to charity, offering financial aid or time and resources, will vouch for the exhilaration they feel upon making worthy contributions. Giving undoubtedly makes one an extraordinary individual – in their own eyes as well as in the eyes of others.

One might scoff at the surety with which the statement has been articulated, but there are numerous reasons why it stands true. Firstly, one’s self-image is of paramount importance. Ironic though it is, giving enhances one’s self-worth because the act puts others before oneself. In a world that believes that individuals are wired to be selfish, doing something truly selfless makes one remarkable indeed. Secondly, with the suffering, wealth disparity and wars that are a common fixture, the smallest measure, be it charity fundraising or sponsoring the education of an underprivileged child, matters in making the world a kinder place.

Charity is also a mutually beneficial relationship for all those involved in the exchange. It helps one connect with individuals who are in a vastly different place in life as compared to themselves. This gives one the power that is rare indeed – one to empathise with one’s fellow beings, rather than just sympathise with them. Empathy – the ability to truly understand the other person by putting oneself in his/her shoes – is a hallmark of a mind that has grown and evolved. It allows one to be humane, instead of just human.

In the age of materialism, giving also helps one manage its stresses and uncertainties by nudging one towards the spiritual. Spiritual wellbeing is as important as material success. Giving, which helps one look beyond oneself to the oneness of the universe, is a spiritual activity that helps individuals love and be at peace with themselves. The greatest minds in the world have all extolled the benefits of charity, and now, scientific research backs these ideas, which go back thousands of years. Giving, in its essence, is a way towards self-realisation.

Help nourish a schoolchild’s dream of uninterrupted education by supporting Food for Education. Donate to Akshaya Patra for mid-day meal programme now!

School lunch in Namma Karnataka by Akshaya Patra

Bengaluru, the city where it all began. In 2000, Akshaya Patra, an NGO in Karnataka, started serving mid-day meals to 1500 government school children in Bengaluru with an aim to end classroom hunger. The journey has been ceaseless.

With a flourishing quality education, Karnataka is among many other states that require attention towards reducing classroom hunger. We believe that quality education without basic necessities such as nutritional food for students is of no value at all. When mid-day meal in Karnataka became operational, many schools saw an increase in school attendance. State Hunger Index report, 2008, shows how hunger is still persistent across India and Karnataka, among many other states, falls in alarming category.

In 2003, the Government of Karnataka invited The Foundation to partner with them to implement Mid-Day Meal Scheme across the state. They have also helped the Central Government in implementing the programme across the nation. Akshaya Patra, an NGO in Karnataka receives sufficient aid from the State Government and from donors as well.

Here’s a quick look at certain aspects of Akshaya Patra’s presence in Karnataka:

1. Highest Beneficiary Base: The mid-day meal programme in Karnataka is currently available to 463,682 children across 2,629 schools which make the state the highest in terms of beneficiary base. When Akshaya Patra began its journey, the number of children who received hot and freshly cooked meals was only 1500. In 16 years, our beneficiary base has increased by 300 times.

2. Four ISO Kitchens: Akshaya Patra’s kitchens are an ideal example of quality. Centralised kitchens are automated and ensure 100% hygiene during the cooking process. All the six kitchens in Karnataka are centralised, with four of these having received ISO certification. All centralised kitchens have the capacity to cook up to 100,000 meals every day. The beneficiary schools are located around the unit to benefit from these kitchens.

3. Nourishing uncommon dreams: In 2016 a pilot initiative called ‘Giving Every Dream a Chance’ was launched. Through this programme, students will receive mentorship in the field of their career interests. For the pilot launch, three students from Bengaluru were selected as a part of this initiative and were mentored by renowned organisations which witnessed a huge success. Shekar, for instance, is a 14-year-old student who aspires to be a chef, was trained under Vivanta by Taj. You can view the inspiring videos here.

It is also The Akshaya Patra Foundation’s mission to target 5 million children by 2020 and ensure that these children are able to concentrate better in classrooms. Although there has been a huge success, we believe it is still a long way to go before we can experience hunger-free India. You can join Akshaya Patra in raising awareness about the programme as well as contributing to the cause. All it takes is Rs. 750 to feed a school going child and you can help us too.

Read on to know more about our work, how you can get involved or donate to charity. Yes, there’s 100% tax exemption when you donate to Akshaya Patra.

Akshaya Patra as an NGO in Ahmedabad

The purpose of human life is to serve, and to show compassion and the will to help others.                        

                                                                                                                              - Albert Schweitzer

Our life on earth is counted by the virtuous deeds we do for others.  We may not be able to help everyone but we can do something to help someone. There are many ways to support those who are in need like donating to charity, lending a helping hand to non-profit organisations or sponsoring a child etc.

We know that in government schools most of the children tend to be drop-outs when hunger remains a constraint. The performance of a student in class is directly dependant on the nutrition he/she is getting. Most of the children come with empty stomachs and doesn’t have the energy to concentrate in class. They lose interest in studies and end as drop outs. The non-profit organisations like Akshaya Patra serves mid-day meals to children in government schools with continuous support from the Central Government and the State Governments operating on a Public-Private-Partnership model. Education reports claims that in Gujarat, 58 of every 100 students who enrolled in schools are dropouts failing to make it to high schools, which is the 16th highest dropout rate in the country.

The non-profit organisation serves nutritious mid-day meals across 10 states of India. One among the states where Akshaya Patra serves mid-day meals is Gujarat and in the state, Ahmedabad is one of the locations where the NGO runs its programme. Ahmedabad has one of the largest kitchens in India with the capacity to prepare for 400,000 children. Currently as an NGO in Ahmedabad, it is feeding 132,581 children in 524 schools each day. The centralised kitchen spreads over two acres in a 3 storeyed building producing 200,000 meals in five hours. The hot, nutritious meals are delivered across the schools through 44 meal distribution vehicles. The kitchen was inaugurated by Honourable Chief Minister of Gujarat, Anandiben on August 2014. She said, “I strongly believe the mid-day meal from The Akshaya Patra Foundation will fulfil the goal of making Gujarat free of malnutrition. I hope the healthy and nutritious food provided to children from Akshaya Patra will build healthy minds and body. The Gujarat government is eager to support Akshaya Patra’s activities to build a strong society and a strong nation. I wish success to all the people working in the new centralized kitchen of The Akshaya Patra Foundation.” 

To prevent the dropout rates in schools, Akshaya Patra serves meals to the children with the aim of promoting education.  Meals are served keeping in mind the local taste of each region. The menu consisting of roti, peanut rice, jeera rice, mix veg curry with soy chunk, vegetables, mix dal consisting of masoor dal , channa dal,  lots of vegetables, kichdi  etc. are served to the children of Ahmedabad. Unlimited food is served keeping in mind their requirements. For some of the children, the noon meal may be the only proper meal they get a day. The kitchen has a food safety and quality control laboratory that has high-precision testing instruments to enhance quality and safety of the meal.

The other centres in Gujarat where the NGO serves food are Vadodara and Surat. As a result of the quality and nutritious food served, children are interested in coming to school, the enrolment in schools has increased, and micronutrient deficiencies are solved. Parents are happy to send their children to schools as they get a proper meal a day.

Today Akshaya Patra is the world’s largest mid-day meal programme serving wholesome food to over 1.5 million children from 11,360 schools across 10 states in India. Akshaya Patra plays an effective role in promoting education by providing nutritious meals to children in Government schools.

For Akshaya Patra to keep providing these children with nutritious food for education every day and expand its reach to help more children, the organisation needs support and participation from people, corporates, philanthropists and the generous donors. Contributions as donation to NGO can be done in many ways. One can donate to this charity online, which is considered the easiest method of all.

Healthy Food for Children is Crucial for Development

All the major developments of the body and brain take place at childhood.  Therefore, lots of vegetables, fruits, nuts, legumes and whole grains are essential in the food for children to ensure their healthy development. However, the reality is that not all the children in India have access to proper nutrition, especially in their formative years, in fact millions still don’t. The silver lining is that the situation has become far better than what it was used to be, largely thanks to the efforts of various NGOs for children and people who donate to charity.

Healthy food for children is important for several reasons:

• Early childhood - from birth to eight years is one of the most critical periods in children’s growth. It is during this period children grow fast and acquire all their basic skills including language, socio-emotional development (attachment, sense of right and wrong); and fine (ability to hold pencils) and gross (balance, skip) motor skills. Vital nutrients in fruits and vegetables like vitamin C, vitamin A, fibre, folate, potassium, magnesium and phytochemicals help keep the body and mind healthy. This is why doctors and health experts specify on including more fruits and vegetables in food for children.
• Countless studies in the past have also highlighted importance of healthy eating during childhood.  A balanced diet has been shown to increase brain function, improve behaviour and concentration of students and improve children’s learning capacity and academic performance.  According to the World Health Organization (WHO), healthy nutrition also protects children against obesity and chronic diseases like cancer, eating disorders and cardiovascular diseases. In addition, following a healthy diet during the early stages of growth also helps one remain healthy in adulthood and at old age. 

On the other hand, chronic malnutrition has been proved to leave irreversible damage on children, both in their physical and mental development. UNICEF states that about 7.6 million children around the world die before age five. Around 200 million children manage to survive; but fail to reach full human potential due to various reasons like poor nutrition, inadequate care and lack of opportunities.  According to the experts, early intervention by giving opportunities to overcome these issues can yield promising results and help improve survival, growth, health and other areas of early development.

In India, effort to provide opportunities to underserved children was initiated through many NGO for children like The Akshaya Patra Foundation. With the help of individuals who donate to charity, Akshaya Patra has been providing nutritious food for children since 2000.

Giving children the opportunity to attend school regularly, the organisation currently delivers freshly cooked nutritious meals to over 1.4 million children every day. The NGO for children aims at providing more food for children by expanding its reach to 5 million students by 2020.

To help make this happen, join Akshaya Patra and donate to charity. Your support will ensure more children get wholesome meals every day in government and government aided schools, and get the opportunity to grow physically and mentally strong.

Nutrition for Children on Nutrition Week

Today India is a one of the fastest developing economy in the world. But for the progress, it is stained by malnutrition of millions of its people especially children. India is home to 400 million children, out of which every second child is malnourished due to lack of proper nutrition. Nutritious food is essential for children’s growth and health. Food nutrition and health are connected to the core.

Classroom hunger is a serious issue in India. Hunger keeps children away from school. They cannot concentrate or analyse information when their bellies are starved of food. The solution is to provide food for children in school and ensure that they get nutrition in schools. The mid-day meal programme of the Government of India, taken up by NGOs across the country aims to food nutrition and ensuring health. The Akshaya Patra Foundation in aegis with governments provides the free, tasty and nutritious mid-day meal at government, and government aided schools.

This food for children acts as an incentive for parents to send their children to school. It combats malnutrition in children and provides access to education too. By gaining regular access to sufficient nutrition in schools, the children have shown better concentration in class and academic progress; attendance have improved as well as school enrolment and school dropout rates have decreased.

The Akshaya Patra Kitchen maintains proper quality and food safety. At every stage of the operations process quality measures are implemented to make the Akshaya Patra food safe, nutritious and tasty.

With the determined efforts of the Government of India, corporates, donors and other well-wishers, India can one day achieve a hunger free society.

This Nutrition week provides all an opportunity to donate to charity and help the children. One can make adonation this week and ensure children to get proper nutrition. Donate to ngo, Akshaya Patra which is implementing the Mid-Day Meal Programme in order to eliminate classroom hunger.

Let’s make a pledge to donate to help children get proper nutrition and education today!

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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