How can an NGO bring positive change in society?

‘Giving back to society’ is not an unheard phrase; in fact, it is quite clichéd. Right from top legislators to the common man, everybody has spoken about and heard of this phrase time and again. So, what does it actually mean? To put it simply, ‘giving back to society’ means helping the needy. We all live in a society and the society provides for us. We are dependent on our community and environment for all our need. So, in turn, it becomes our responsibility to take care of our fellow human beings and our life-sustaining environment. It is no surprise that inequality and difference exists all around us: some are extravagantly wealthy whereas some are struck by poverty, some have the luxury to a lavish spread of fine gourmet whereas some sleep and wake up to extreme hunger, some breathe in fresh air whereas some are struggling under the blanket of soot, some are travelling far and wide to get education in the finest of institutions whereas some do not even have the opportunity to attend primary schooling. These are just a few dots on the huge map of the haves and have-nots. And, the phrase ‘giving back to society’ addresses this very imbalance so that the ‘haves’ step up to provide for the ‘have-nots’ through charity donation, time, skill, and specific resources.

One of the practical ways to channel charitable activities constructively is to get engaged with an NGO. NGOs are legally formed groups independent of government ownership or representation. Their scale of ranges from local to global level and encompasses concerns related to human development, conservation of the environment, animal welfare, and more. The operational structure of NGOs allows them to get involved more closely with a particular issue resulting in a more focussed way of dealing with an issue. And, this is also the reason why NGOs are more effective in bringing about a lasting change in the society. So when you donate charity or invest your time and resources in such organisations, it gives a whole new meaning to your contribution. Heeding to this impact and to increase the involvement of more people with different causes, the Government of India allows tax exemption in India for all donations made towards registered NGOs and charitable trusts under Section 80G of the Income Tax Act. This means your donation will have a double advantage: first, it will help the NGO to make progress in their respective causes; and second, it will make you eligible to claim 100% or 50% exemption on the donated amount based on the defined criterions of the Income Tax Act.

One such organisation that has also been recognised as the top NGO by The Global Journal is The Akshaya Patra Foundation. In 2013, the Foundation was ranked 23rd among the top 100 NGOs featured in the 2013 edition of The Global Journal. Akshaya Patra is an Indian NGO running the world’s largest NGO-run school lunch programme. Headquartered in Bengaluru, Karnataka, the Foundation provides freshly cooked nutritious meals to more than 1.6 million children across 34 locations in 12 states. Over the 17 years of its service, Akshaya Patra has observed significant changes in the schooling pattern of children from the economically disadvantaged background. There has been a rise in enrolment, improved attendance rate, improved health, better concentration, and more active participation of children in school activities. However, this would not have been possible without the support of government and philanthropic donors. With the aim to expand its reach and feed more children, the NGO directs all the received funds towards bettering processes and operations and providing wholesome meals to children.

The one meal that children receive on every school day allows them to hope for a better future. It allows them to continue schooling which makes them more confident to achieve their aims. This makes your charity donation a meaningful intervention in the healthy growth and development of young children, making them resourceful citizens of the country. And, the same donation exempts you from taxes too! Well then, wouldn’t it be a good choice to save tax by ‘giving back to 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.

Human Rights Day is Integral to Akshaya Patra

It is important that children enjoy their life to the fullest. It's their birth right, no less than their human right. To enjoy their life to the fullest, it is essential that they are educated.

Education helps them develop the skills and also helps them prepare mentally to gain the most from life. But, this can’t be done with an empty stomach. Because education and food goes hand-in-hand. They need a full stomach meal to develop physical strength as well as to grow mentally. This will help them deal with the challenges in life with ease.

While nutritious food is a necessity, it is a luxury for many. One could donate for education in India by supporting NGO’s like The Akshaya Patra Foundation. This can ensure that your donation is used for the right cause. This way, you along with the NGO, can ensure that the rights of the children are being met.

Rights Protected

On December 10 every year, people around the world celebrate Human Rights Day. The date was chosen to honour the United Nations General Assembly's adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). It is the first global statement of international human rights principles on December 10, 1948.

The day holds importance for those who play a major role in ensuring that all sections of people are able to enjoy a minimal quantum of rights day in and day out. Be it the governments or the NGOs, all play their respective roles to ensure human rights are not violated and are, instead, defended.

It was about 70 years ago that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was made. Since then, many nations have been in the forefront of the efforts to ensure that human rights are not violated, either of their own people or even of people of other nations.

Right to Food

The right to food is recognised in the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Article 25) as part of the right to an adequate standard of living, and is enshrined in the 1966 International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (Article 11).

An NGO like Akshaya Patra, which is considered one of the top NGOs and many others ensure that basic rights of people such as their Right to Food are not violated. From its 34 kitchens in India, the Foundation has been serving nutritious school lunch to over 1.6 million children across the country. This has helped in success of many children who are now able to dream high in life.

It is crucial that non-partisan groups are able to ensure that the rights of children, in particular, are defended. On this World Human Rights Day it's necessary to remember and to remind everyone of the need to and the importance of human rights. It is crucial for the NGOs to play a role in India towards meeting the commitments made on the UN Human Rights Day.

You can also join the cause by making a contribution towards eradicating classroom hunger. Make a donation today.

Make CSR activities fun by involving employees

Companies can channelise resources positively towards their CSR activities if they plan and execute them well with top NGOs. Today, India’s children need food and education and one of the top NGOs serving mid-day meals The Akshaya Patra Foundation is engageing in serving mid-day meals to school children. Here are some CSR ideas for organising charity activities in Bengaluru kitchen and kitchens located in other cities:   

Help on ground

Companies that want to conduct a volunteering activities involving their employees may join hands with Akshaya Patra. Staff members may help the TAPF staff in loading and unloading groceries at the kitchen. At the schools, they can serve the meals to the children and involve in various fun activities like sports event with them. Employees interested in cooking can help the staff in kitchen prepare meals. 

Charity fundraising 

Organisations and institutions may also engage in charity fundraising for the cause of food for education in schools. They may organise auctions where they can sell unused office furniture and raise funds for the charity. Companies may engage their digital marketing teams to organise online fundraising campaigns for charity purposes. Akshaya Patra encourages several charity fundraising initiatives in Bangalore along with online fundraising campaigns for the cause of their Mid-day Meal Programme.

Sponsoring mid-day meals 

Get the privilege of feeding meals to the beneficiaries of Akshaya Patra by sponsoring mid-day meals as part of your CSR activity. It just takes Rs 950 to feed a child for an entire year. Your contribution can allow children to relish a balanced meal which helps them become a healthy individual. About 4,86,172 beneficiaries from 2,968 schools in Bangalore benefit from mid-day meals. The meal is an incentive for them to continue their education and not give it up to earn their meals. 

Organise activities

Make Akshaya Patra a part of your charity fundraising activities. You can start a campaign or a fun activity online or offline. The proceeds of this can be donated to Akshaya Patra along with the CSR funds of the company.

If your company feels strongly for the Indian school children, you may also make a huge difference by supporting Akshaya Patra a charity in Bangalore with simple charity fundraising activities.

Why are pulses an important ingredient in meal?

Children’s charity Akshaya Patra has set examples of quality nutritious meal which is ideal to be served to growing children in Bangalore and across the country. Being India’s one of the top NGOs running a mid-day meal programme, the organisation focuses on serving wholesome food to school children. This NGO strictly abides by the dietary norms as stated by the Central Mid-Day Meal Scheme.

A human body grows remarkably fast between 5 and 18 years of age.  When this growth is stunted during childhood, the body becomes more susceptible to diseases. So it’s important to ensure that the children are fed with the right diet. The charity organisation from Bangalore is working in line with this consideration on a large scale across the country.

The ensure the meal is of top quality, the organisation uses pulses in all of its nutritious meals that are being served every school-day. This sends out a strong message for including pulses in every day meals. These benefits are: 

1. Sufficient intake of Protein

The meals provided by Akshaya Patra consist of pulses like toordal, fortified soy dal, urad dal, cow pea, moong dal, green gram, sprouts, etc. It is a known fact that protein is an essential building block of bones, muscles, cartilage, skin and blood. It helps in building and repairing tissues. For ambitious students like Lakshmi who studies in a school supported by the charity organisation in Bangalore, these healthy meals are really a boon. The top NGO also makes people aware of these benefits as it encourages them towards donating or charity fundraising. 

2. Fulfilled with essential vitamins and minerals

Pulses are a source of the necessary vitamins and minerals which are good for overall health. Minerals such as iron, potassium, magnesium, zinc and vitamin B (folate, thiamine and niacin) are found in pulses. The beneficiaries get to consume such meal though our School-lunch Programme. Various donations and charity fundraising help us procure the ingredients through which we can ensure quality meal for the children. 

3. A satiating meal

While pulses are low in calories (260-360 kcal/ 100 g dried pulses), they are high in fibre and complex carbohydrates, which means that they are slowly digested and give a feeling of satiety. Pulses promote a steady, slow-burning energy while their iron content helps to transport oxygen throughout the body, which boosts energy production and metabolism.

4. Lower risk of cardiovascular disorders

If consumed in appropriate quantity, pulses can help in fulfilling as much as 60% of the daily value of fibre required for the body. The fibre in the pulses is known to improve heart health. Pulses are also rich in potassium which can lower blood pressure by counteracting the effects of sodium. The children studying in government and government-aided schools of Bangalore and in other cities are receiving a healthy diet every day served by this charity. This ensures that they grow up with a lower risk of cardiovascular disorders.

So, gift new hopes and dreams to the children and contribute to their well-being by engaging in charity fundraising activities. Donate today or fundraise for the cause.

Why do India’s top NGOs emphasize Mid-Day Meal in schools?

A recent UNICEF report says that more than 80 million children drop out of school before they complete the age of eight years while over 8 million children are already out of school. In contrast, when 1.6 million children in India are benefitted by a top NGO, the same number of children attends school. That’s the impact of Mid-Day Meal Programme that’s run in government schools in India.

Mid-day meals and school attendance 

One of India’s top NGOs Akshaya Patra strives to make both food and education accessible for children since these are the two founding factors of the growth of children. Mid-day meals are directly associated with whether children would attend schools and make the best of the education right from reading and writing in their mother tongue Hindi or Gujarati or participating in extra-curricular activities. The government is working with some top NGOs in Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and others to ensure that mid-day meals are served in as many schools as possible so more children could be brought back to school. School administrations have testified that their attendance is going up every year ever since they started serving wholesome lunch in the premises. 

Mid-day meals and children’s dreams 

Several stories of hope at Akshaya Patra are testimonies to the principle that when basic nourishment is available easily to children, they are more likely to dream big and have goals in life. Hundreds of beneficiaries receiving wholesome lunch at school share their dreams of becoming engineers, sports persons, doctors or teachers.

Mid-day meals and growth

A mid-day meal is one of the three most important meals of the day. Families that can only afford meals twice in a day, are typically those who would rather put their children to work so more meals could be earned for the whole family. As a result, many school-going children are forced to drop out since either they are needed at home to take care of their siblings when both parents go to work or they need to work in order to help the family financially. This often becomes a vicious cycle where meal becomes a reason for children to drop out of schools. Thus, back in the year 2000, Akshaya Patra, which is today one of India’s top NGOs in the field, realised that if this gap is filled, the problem of school drop-outs could be solved. The organisation realised that there are several avenues to getting education. Apart from the usual activities at schools like learning Math or Hindi, if mid-day meal is made part of attending school, it could become a major incentive in bringing students back. This would directly affect a healthy growth of the children both physically and mentally while parents would be more willing to send all the children in the family to schools. 

You can make a big difference into this mission by donating to charity.

Why every child should be given a fair chance

As George Orwell’s once penned down that ‘Some are more equal than others,’ we are beginning to realise how much inequality affects children. There is an evident inequality of income and opportunities in general affecting all age groups. While we all strive towards equality, can we not forget the children who deserve a fair chance to be in school? Today, we would like to talk about why we should bring children back to school!

Millions of children today need food and education. They battle with inequities on a day-to-day basis. Many credible reports state that if we don’t tackle the inequity at various levels today, millions children of primary school age will be out of school. Good news is we can do something now through various charity donations or non-profit fundraising ideas of helping children go to school. 

Every child deserves a fair chance to grow, explore life and learn from his surroundings, from school and the environment. Here’s why – 

A fair chance gives the child space to grow

Every child is built uniquely with his/her own set of aspirations, dreams, background and perspectives. A lot of times children can totally stump you with their understanding. Other times they may charm you with their innocence. Children therefore must be nurtured with a natural sensitivity towards their environment and background. 

A fair chance ensures natural exploration

It’s only when each child is given a fair chance is he/she able to explore knowledge and life with much freedom. Many top NGOs such as Akshaya Patra are working hard to provide this kind of natural nourishment so children learn to have a neutral stand about things around them and make choices on their own. 

A fair chance is necessary for a broad perspective

The adolescent years contain crucial lessons and have a deep impact on the rest of their lives. When children are given a fair chance to grow, they get a broader perspective about life. They grow up to become sensitive citizens who are aware of what’s important for the growth of the society.

A fair chance paves way for education

Learning is an integral part of any child’s growing up years. When children are given equal opportunities to study and learn, they are able to pick up vital lessons for life along the way. Akshaya Patra encourages charity donation in order to run its mission of serving wholesome lunch to school children so they are incentivised to attend their schools regularly and get a chance to study. 

A fair chance gives them a healthy growth

When children have equal resources for physical and mental nourishment, they grow up without grudge against their circumstances. This is very important for their healthy growth. This way they are able to focus their energies towards issues such as education, awareness, emotional intelligence and respect towards others. 

There are several children charities activities that you may initiate from your end towards the cause of giving children a fair chance of growth. One of the ways is definitely to help children get wholesome lunch so they are encouraged to come to school. We urge to join hands with one of India’s top NGOs - Akshaya Patra.

Water is an essential part of children’s nutrition

Most nutritionists recommend that children must get three meals in a day along with two parts of healthy snacks. As far as the lunch is concerned, Akshaya Patra ensures that school children get a proper diet through its Mid-Day Meal Programme. The organisation has fed over 1.6 million school children so far. 

Clean drinking water is an integral part of the Akshaya Patra school lunch menu that this top NGO serves to the children. Children are often never concerned about how much water they need for proper hydration. But water is an essential part of their daily nutrition. Water helps keeping their body temperature stable and it is responsible for carrying nutrients and oxygen to cells, protects tissues and organs, soothes joints and removes waste. 

Apart from meal time, children would typically drink water after playing outside and thirsting for it. It doesn’t usually strike them that they need more water. Children aged between nine and 13 need 1.6 litres/6 glasses (boys) and 1.4 litres/5 glasses (girls) of water every day. In the 14-18 age-groups, boys need to drink at least 1.9 litres/7 glasses and girls need to drink at least 1.6 litres/6 glasses per day. Apart from water, children can also be fed low-fat milk that nourishes them without giving them sugar or additives that are found in soft drinks or flavoured mineral water. Akshaya Patra encourages children to drink sufficient water after their meals. You can also play a part in this charity fundraising. 

Of course, children must be taught to consume more water during hot days or if they are indulged in a lot of outdoor activities or sports. In India, the easily available drinking water is tap water. But the good news is tap water contains fluoride that helps in developing strong teeth. However, the children who go to government schools in India often don’t have access to clean tap water at their homes. We ensure that a wholesome meal apart from clean drinking water is provided to all the children going to the government schools. These children can be benefitted through charity fundraising for Akshaya Patra. Donate for an NGO today.

Recognizing the Importance of Early Childhood Development

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

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

Child’s health

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

Environment & experiences

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

Education

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

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

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

You can take part in our charity fundraising.

5 Threats to Child’s Well-Being

Children innocently dream about becoming a doctor, a scientist, an astronaut etc. regardless of their families’ social or financial status. They dream of owning a large house and eating in lavish hotels upon growing up even if they’re homeless and hungry in the present. Often, many of these dreams get shattered because of undermined development and helplessness. Being capable, we should help these children to get a better livelihood by doing some charity fundraising. Akshaya Patra, one of the top NGOs in India, gives us an opportunity to provide roots and wings to these kids. It identifies the following as the major threats to children’s well-being and strives for their outright eradication.

Undernourishment

Undernourished kids cannot grow into healthy adults. Hence, good physical, mental and emotional health of children should be ensured by providing them with all the vital nutrients daily. This stimulates their growth and makes them fit.  Each of 2.12 billion meals that Akshaya Patra has served so far has been as per the dietary norms of Central Mid-day Meal Scheme. Its mission is to serve 5 million children by 2020 while securing them a healthy life. Such visionary organisation should be supported.

No access to education

The only way to gain knowledge, fulfill one’s dreams and earn a better livelihood is by gaining education. If lack of money and resources become a hindrance to gaining education, it’s not only a misfortune for the children but also a failure on our part who choose to let things be the way they are. For them to grow up as vigilant and skilled adults, kids need learning. Akshaya Patra does its bit by providing mid-day meals as an incentive to encourage kids to attend classes.

Financial weakness

Sometimes, some brilliant talents go unnoticed because they fail to bring themselves to the notice. So many children don’t go to school because for them, working to earn meals is better than sitting in the classrooms with empty stomachs. There may be good painters, sportspersons, and dancers in the children who go for menial jobs. We should realise our responsibility towards the society that has helped us become what we are and engage in charity fundraising. Our tax-deductible donation can make a large difference.

No access to welfare programmes

There are many welfare programmes that run for benefitting the underprivileged children yet some are missed out because they are hard to reach, unwilling to join or cannot easily participate. As such, facilitating the kids to be able to get the benefit as well as expanding the programmes is important. This is possible only by maximising the support.

Ignorance of the capable ones

Giving some of what we have to the needy is an excellent way to feel beyond materialistic pleasure. Criticising the stagnancy of our society without contributing to its uplifting is unjustified. Thinking that somebody else will help the helpless is the greatest threat to the needy. A small donation is the least we can do as a contribution. A healthy and educated society is all we aspire.

Donate to charity today to experience the truth in the adage: no one has ever become poor by giving.

Food Vs Education - what's the need of the hour?

MFK Fisher said: First we eat, then we do everything else. So the quest for food is somehow more pressing than any other need. Millions of children around the world must work hard to get food, others go without food or still others consume food that’s not nutritious enough. 

Where in the priority of these children would be education then? If they go empty stomach every other night, how will they ever focus on studying? In a country like India, more than children, it’s the parents who constantly suffer from this dilemma. Should they fend for their children first or think about their education? 

Top NGOs in the country are striving to provide food and education to children so they never have to choose between the two most crucial aspects of a child’s growth. Akshaya Patra, however, went one step ahead and decided to incentivise education. When children come to school, they get mid-day meal free of cost. As a result, children are motivated to come to school while their parents feel unburdened of one-time meal so they can send their children to school every day. 

Combining food and education 

While as a basic physical need, the choice is obvious between food and education, yet both are equally important. When Akshaya Patra Foundation, which is today one of the top NGOs in the country channelising charity fundraising for education, set off on its mission to feed the children, it planned both food and education together. In active partnership with the government, the organisation succeeded in providing mid-day meals to millions of children in India. Akshaya Patra completed 2 billion meals in August 2016 and aims at establishing more centralised kitchens to reach out to more schools in 2017. 

With its mission of Food for Education, the organisation channelised schools, volunteers, parents and teachers to spread awareness about sending children to schools. The mid-day meal scheme had two-fold effect. On one hand, it helped in feeding children in schools and solved their problem of at least one-time meal. On the other hand, it encouraged parents to send all their children to school so no child in the family was deprived of education. 

But what was truly unexpected were the various aspirations that got wings in schools. There have been several children who didn’t know that if they were fed well, they would have the time to think about their future or dream about what they want to become as they grow up. Several hope stories emerged out when children came up to share their dreams and ambitions. 

We realised during this journey that food and education are intrinsically related. It’s true that good nutrition boosts the growth of the immune system. This enables children to pursue things other than just the physical needs such as food or sleep. The children who are well-fed find themselves full of energy and motivation to achieve and think. 

Akshaya Patra also engaged several other corporate organisations and individuals encouraging them to donate for a cause such as this. All charity donations going to the organisation are tax deductible donations. 

The Food for Education mission was aimed at realising that both food and education cannot be pursued separately. They need to be seen and sought together. If you think you can be part of a noble cause such as this, you may engage in charity fundraising and donate to us.

Solving India’s Hunger Problem – Why and How?

‘World hunger’ refers to the want or scarcity of food in a country. As the economies progress and development goes forward, the evil of hunger becomes a bigger challenge with growing populations. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (UNFAO) estimates that about 795 million people of the 7.5 billion people in the world were suffering from chronic undernourishment in 2014-2016. That’s one in nine people. And almost all the hungry people, i.e., 780 million people live in developing countries including India. 

Hunger has taken its largest toll in Southern Asia including India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Imagine the statistics on the children demographic. Globally, 161 million under-five-year olds were estimated to be stunted in 2013. Thus solving the problem of hunger is not a choice anymore. The reasons are plenty but the most prominent of them all is it’s slowly destroying our future – the children.

How can the hunger problem be solved? Of course there are top NGOs working towards reducing under nourishment among children. A lot of charity fundraising happens on a large scale in India where people generously donate for the cause. However, the real effort is in the detailing.

School to school 

Akshaya Patra, an NGO based out of Bangalore, identified the place where undernourished children can be found easily. There are several government schools around India that struggle to get children to school. The most common reason for kids skipping school is economic condition. While both parents need to work to fend for their families, older children are kept in charge of younger siblings. When Akshaya Patra decided to incentivise education by providing mid-day meals in schools, the idea caught up quickly. One of the best ways to solve the problem is to reach out to undernourished children and ensure both nutrition and education. The organisation encourages tax deductible donations apart from working in active partnership with the government. 

Meal to meal 

Another significant detail in the fight against hunger is ensuring that nutritious meals are served to children. Akshaya Patra CEO Shridhar Venkat, addressing at the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organisation’s Regional Initiative on Zero Hunger challenge (Bangkok), identified a crucial aspect of nutrition. He said that millets were not only more nutritious than cereals, they were naturally rich in fibre, minerals and iron. He outlined the inclusion of this particular cereal in ancient Indian meals. The meals at Akshaya Patra are replete with nutrients. Our cooks ensure that the meals are not boring and are varied enough for the children to enjoy while the meals are customised as per the region such as South India or Western India. This NGO in India is able to execute this plan through charity fundraising or tax deductible donations from generous people all over the world. 

Awareness 

Through Aanganwadi meals given to mothers and toddlers, the organisation also engages in making women aware of healthy nutrition for children. This sensitises mothers towards ensuring that they feed their children a healthy meal every day. When they cannot provide for these meals, Akshaya Patra engages in facilitating the same. 

The fight to hunger needs to be carried out with a concrete plan. It’s vital that these plans are localised based on country and regions in order to be effective. You can play your part by donating from wherever you are.

Why Should We Make Children Our Priority?

What do some of the top NGOs in India have in common? Children happen to be their priority. They are working in the field of child development through education, food, shelter and health. Akshaya Patra’s top priority is to reach more school children each day with nutritious food which, in turn, would encourage the kids come to school regularly.

When it comes to children, we think like parents. We make children our priority and single point of motivation while working. This Children’s Day, how can parents make children their priority?

Teach by example 

When you make children your priority, you want to teach them right. No lesson goes down deeply into the soul better than the one lived as an example. It is a way of treating our children with love and respect. At Akshaya Patra, we treat children with nutritious meals to ensure they are healthy and are encouraged to attend school. Be it in Bangalore or other parts of India, our staff understand that being part of a top NGO for children would mean being more sensitive and mindful around children. While serving the Mid-Day Meals, our staff ensures that they treat children with respect, serve the food appropriately and set an example of respecting meals.

Character development 

As Dr Haim Ginott put it, “Children are like wet cement. Whatever falls on them, makes an impression.” We need to realise how vital it is to focus on the character development of children. We must see children as adults-in-the-making. Gently inculcating qualities of mutual respect, honouring others goes a long way in the development of a child’s character. Our experience as a child NGO in Bangalore helps us remember that children – be it in tech-savvy cities like or newly developed ones – are the same.

Smart discipline 

Today’s children have more access to information through technology. That coupled with their inherent sense of observation and imitation, makes discipline a challenging task. Yet, when teachers at schools and parents at home, gently carry out their responsibilities well, children are able to prioritise in life better and become more disciplined. Chetan, a beneficiary of our Mid-Day Meal Scheme run in association with the government, is someone who has benefitted from good discipline. He aspires to be an architect since he got the chance to watch a certain television programme about architects. He loves learning Marathi which is also his mother tongue. When we make children our priority, we are able to find smarter ways of inculcating discipline in them. 

Join hands in the cause

You may or may not be a parent, but you do realise that children are the future society. You may choose to join our cause of bringing children closer to school education by providing Mid-Day Meals in schools with the help of the government of India. We have so far served 2.12 billion meals to school children and this has been made possible with the support of our generous donors. As a donor, you also get a few tax benefits in 80G deduction or carrying out CSR activities. As a top NGO in bringing ‘Food for education’, Akshaya Patra aims at reaching every child in India with nutritious meal and education. Join hands with us today.