How can we eliminate gender disparity in schools - International Women’s Day

The International Women’s Day is observed globally on 8 March every year. Though this day is approached and celebrated in different ways around the world heeding to the culture and history of the land, the focus is always to value women’s role in the society and their achievements. This day is celebrated based on various themes, with the theme for 2018 being ‘Press for Progress’. This theme rightly comes at a time when the findings of World Economic Forum's 2017 Global Gender Gap Report suggest that we might be more or less two centuries away from attaining gender parity. But, growing awareness, activism, support, and not to forget the crucial role of NGOs, has created a global movement for women empowerment and gender parity.

In India, gender disparity begins right from the birth of a girl child, and in certain cases in the prenatal stage itself. A forthcoming background paper on female literacy that was released in a blog-post by New York-based International Commission on Financing Global Education Opportunity (or Education Commission) indicates that India is under-performing compared to its neighbours, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal. According to the report, India has a proportion of 48% women who completed primary schooling of five years and were literate, compared to 92% in Nepal, 74% in Pakistan and 54% in Bangladesh. The report points that India stands at a pretty low ranking in global indices too. If the 51 developing countries that were being compared, are ranked by the earliest grade at which at least 50% of women are literate then India ranks 38th among the 51 countries, whereas its neighbouring counterparts - Nepal ranks 3rd, Pakistan ranks 8th, and Bangladesh ranks 24th. This indicates the need for a result-oriented implementation of several programmes introduced by government and NGOs for children to create awareness for protecting girl child and providing them the equal right to education.

The main reason for gender disparity stems from the belief that girl child is a burden for the family, and her education is not of as much priority since she will be married of whereas the son will grow up to be the earning member for the family. It is estimated that about 3-million girls are out of school in India. And, in rural India only 1 in 100 girls reach Grade 12. While the number of girls attending primary school is roughly equal to boys, the gap widens in secondary school as they are forced to drop-out in view of stereotypical roles of helping at home or getting married. To deal with this situation we need to work as a community and support girl children through sponsor a child platform of various NGOs.

In order to uplift women and reduce gender parity, the Government of India has taken several measures such as Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao Yojana, Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana, Mid-Day Meal Scheme, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan, and the like. In addition, Punjab has recently announced a programme to encourage girls from all backgrounds to get quality education with the provision of free education in the state system right from nursery school to doctorate level at university. Many national and international leaders have time and again pressed upon the issue of education and empowerment of women and there are many NGOs for children that are directly working for safeguarding girl child rights.

Educating girls hugely benefits the family in particular and the entire country in general. It is time we take some tangible steps towards the notion, "If you educate a woman, you educate a family. If you educate a girl, you educate the future" because the large proportion of illiterate females is one of the main reasons for the low literacy rate in India. And, there is no denying of the fact that only an educated mother can educate her children. Hence, it is time to break down barriers that prevent girls from going to school by getting involved to support the role of NGOs and government initiatives. And, what better way to counter gender disparity than sponsoring education for a girl child on this International Women’s Day. So, go ahead and sponsor a child, a girl child who is the backbone of prosperity and development.

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.

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.

Education is Everybody’s Right

On one particular day in 1948, during the aftermath of World War II, United Nations (UN) set a milestone. The UN published Universal Declaration of Human Rights – a set of fundaments that provide equal opportunity for all – that were to be followed by all nations and all people. On this historic day, a decision was made which would help countries achieve peace in many aspects. About 48 countries, including India, voted in favour of the declaration. Here’s Akshaya Patra’s message on Human Rights Day observed across the globe.

The Akshaya Patra Foundation, children’s charity in India, would like to particularly focus on Article 26 of Universal Declaration which declares education as a right. This children’s NGO began its programme to feed the hungry children in schools (students of government and government-aided schools) to encourage them to continue education. As a trust, the organisation focuses on two United Nations Sustainable Development Goals: Zero Hunger and Quality Education.

In India, the National Human Rights Commission put forth its covenants only by the end of 20th century; more than 40 years after UN declared human rights articles. Today, these clauses are the voices of many whose lives are not liberated; trapped by unemployment, low or zero income, and other socio-economic issues. Akshaya Patra, with a vision that no child should be deprived of education because of hunger, strengthens many such families by providing mid-day meals to their children. 

Education is everybody’s right - Article 26 in Universal Declaration states:

• Everyone has the right to education
• Education shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages
• Elementary education shall be compulsory

As it states, India - a developing nation, dreams of achieving 100% literacy rate in the coming years. But to achieve this, many NGOs alike and citizens must come forward to build a nation in a sustainable manner.

Mid-day meal by Akshaya Patra is a promise for every student that they will not sit in a classroom with an empty stomach. Hunger or half-hunger has made many children resort to other choices. But they deserve to be given a fair chance to study and be successful. These children have dreams – to be a doctor, to be a police officer, to be a teacher and many more. Supporting these dreams through education and nutritious mid-day meals will help them achieve their dreams.

Today, as we draw closer to Human Rights Day, let us stand up for someone’s rights. Together, we can achieve peace, development, and universal education. Sponsor a child today to gift them an uninterrupted education. You can also choose to donate for education in India and support a child’s dream.

6 Things You Should Know About Akshaya Patra in Hyderabad

“You can’t build a peaceful world on empty stomachs and human misery.” -- Dr. Norman Ernest Borlaug

Did you know that every 10 seconds we lose a child to hunger? Many NGOs are moving in this direction in order to fight off hunger. Akshaya Patra too rose up to the mission of the eradication of hunger at the grass root level. 

Akshaya Patra is a Non-Profit Organisation which runs Mid-Day Meal Programme in government schools and government-aided primary schools for children. The Government of India and various state governments are supporting the organisation to accomplish its goal of feeding millions of children and building a healthy India. Many philanthropic donors have come forward and contributed to this charity for children. The foundation kept its first stone in Bengaluru in the year 2000 and till date it has 25 kitchens across 10 states in India including Telangana. It extended the NGO in Hyderabad by building a centralised kitchen in October 2008. 

Here’s what you need to know about Akshaya Patra in Hyderabad.

1. The first footprints of the NGO in Hyderabad

With the vision “No child in India shall be deprived of education because of hunger,” Akshaya Patra propelled its branches to 10 states in India including the newly formed 29th state Telangana. It started its centralised kitchen unit in Hyderabad in the year 2008. The Akshaya Patra Kitchen prepares wholesome mid-day meals to government schools and Anganwadi children. 

2. Supplying food to thousands of underfed children

Akshaya Patra in Telangana currently feeds 62,020 children across 463 government schools and 25,768 Anganwadi children every day, through its centralised kitchen in Hyderabad. The NGO has its own 23 custom-made vehicles for the distribution of the mid-day meals to every classroom. Several generous supporters have contributed to Akshaya Patra’s programme of eliminating classroom hunger. It needs more hands to reach out to more children. You may choose to sponsor a child and take responsibility for providing him food and a healthy life. 

3. Inside the Akshaya Patra’s kitchen

The Akshaya Patra’s centralised kitchen in Hyderabad is equipped with state-of-the-art machinery perfected to cook an enormous amount of food for thousands of children at the same time. Though the huge quantity of food is supplied to thousands of classrooms from the single kitchen, the NGO doesn’t compromise with the quality and required nutrition. Feeding the hungry isn’t their only motive; they supply hygienic food containing all the required nutrients to children to ensure a good health. 

4. When a state-wide change began from Hyderabad 

In order to serve its mission of feeding 5 million hungry children by the year 2020, Akshaya Patra started building its kitchen in several states of India including Telangana. The NGO built the state’s first centralised kitchen in Hyderabad and now undertakes this charity for children with support from philanthropic donors along with the support from the state and central government. Hunger hasn’t ended yet but has definitely been thwarted to a great extent and would be rooted out with more support.

5.  Recognition of Akshaya Patra’s work and its kitchen

Several authorities have visited Akshaya Patra's huge centralised kitchen equipped with technologically advanced machinery. Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation commissioner for the state visited the kitchen and appreciated the foundation’s endeavor of supplying cooked food to underfed children. The GHMC commissioner was moved by the dedication and efforts of the foundation towards changing the lives of children. Akshaya Patra is indebted to the state and the central government for their immense support.

6. Helping Hyderabad’s charity for children

Akshaya Patra needs more hands for continuing to work in Hyderabad. You may participate in the great cause and support it. You may choose to donate a little part of your income and take the responsibility of a child. 

Sponsoring a child takes Rs 750 that is used to feed a child throughout the year. Besides, on donating Rs 500 or above to Akshaya Patra, you become eligible for 100% tax exemption.