Two Akshaya Patra kitchens win CII National Food Safety Awards 2014

Akshaya Patra was recently awarded the prestigious CII National Food Safety Award 2014, for both the Vasanthapura as well as the Hubli kitchen! The Vasanthapura kitchen received the highest level of awards for ‘Outstanding Performance in Food Safety’, while the Hubli kitchen was conferred the second highest award of ‘Certificate of Commendation for Significant Achievement in Food Safety.’

The award brings into focus those considered the ‘Best in Class’ in the manufacturing and food service business sector. It provides a means for organisations to gauge their position in the industry as well as provides a platform to gain national recognition.

Speaking on the occasion of receiving the awards, Muralidhar Pundla, Director-Quality at Akshaya Patra said. “Quality is of paramount importance at Akshaya Patra. It's an honour to receive this prestigious award from CII and that too, two awards in a single year. We at Akshaya Patra at the same time would like to keep our focus on Continual Improvement Programs to further strengthen our systems and processes to make sure that we can serve more children meals that they can relish every day.”

The award was given to Akshaya Patra by K. Chandramouli, Chairman, Food Safety & Standards Authority of India; Mayank Jalan, Co-Chairman, Food Processing Committee and Chairman and Managing Director, Keventer Agro Limited and Kevin D. Gallagher, FAO India representative. Receiving the award for Akshaya Patra were Yagneshwara Dasa, Muralidhar Pundla, Suresh Kumar, Arun Kumar and Prashanth MB.

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The long walk to success

How many of us would be inclined to walk 20 kilometres a day for education? For Krishna Das, it’s well worth the trouble. Studying in Standard IX in the Sualkuchi Kali Ram Karikar Girls High School in Assam, Krishna lives in a remote village where road connectivity is bad, forcing her to walk to school.

“There are no motorable roads and hence no vehicles can reach the village. The situation has been the same, as far as I can remember," she says. Sometimes the rain makes the situation even worse.  “The paths become slushy because of which we cannot even come to school and many others can’t go out for work."

Although her parents are weavers, Krishna never wanted to take up the trade. “I never wanted to learn weaving even though it is beautiful. I want to get a good job which promises a regular income, after I finish my studies, “she says. Her parents have always encouraged both Krishna and her brother (Standard XII) to study.

Krishna is a beneficiary of Akshaya Patra’s mid-day meal at her school. Because of the tasty, filling food Krishna has the stamina and the drive to walk the 20 kilometres to school and back. The food keeps her feeling satisfied till she gets home and dinner is served in an hour or two.

Thinking to the future Krishna says, "I want Chandrapur to be connected by roads, have facilities like government schools and hospitals. At this point it may appear to be a wishful thinking, but I hope it will soon come true." We think that with determination like hers, she can make any of her dreams come true.

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Feed by Like – Akshaya Patra’s latest social media campaign

Can you make a difference in a child’s life through your Facebook profile? Yes.  Through ‘Feed by Like’ campaign launched on 11th November, marking the birthdate of the Foundation, Akshaya Patra is urging social media users to Like their Facebook page. In response to each Like, a sponsor will donate one meal to The Akshaya Patra Foundation, helping to improve the lives of children in India.

Support food for education on World Hunger Day 2014

Food security is a problem that plagues people in every country, in every corner of the world. In fact, food security is such a crippling issue that the Food and Agriculture Organisation(FAO) estimates that there are 805 million people who are hungry across the world.

With hunger and malnutrition being such crucial problems of the world today, World Food Day was conceptualised in 1945 by the United Nations, to also mark the day that the Food and Agriculture Organisation was founded. Celebrated on 16 October all over the world this day aims to bring about an understanding of the circumstances and problems connected with hunger and poverty.

For World Food Day 2014 the theme chosen is Family Farming: “Feeding the world, caring for the earth”. This theme has been adopted to raise awareness of the role that family farming plays in putting an end to global hunger and malnutrition. However, because of problems like poor raw material, bad policies and inadequate storage facilities, many farmers go hungry themselves.

The Akshaya Patra Foundation involved in the cause of providing food for education to underprivileged children in India, understands how crucial supporting family farming can be. Although there may not be a correlation between the cause of Akshaya Patra and family farming at first hand, the two are actually closely connected.

Children are forced to help their parents in the fields, tilling the soil and struggling to get by, at the cost of their education. By supporting and highlighting the importance of family farming, this occupation will get a boost, and children get an education.

Celebrate World Food Day 2014 and help end classroom hunger by making online donation to NGO.

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Donate to Akshaya Patra for Joy of Giving 2014

 The Joy of Giving Week (Daan Utsav) is marked by great efforts in generosity to bridge the gaps of social inequality. It is in pursuit of this goal that many donors partner with NGOs all over India like The Akshaya Patra Foundation to help alleviate suffering and provide opportunities to the under privileged sections of society. However with so many options to donate during Joy of Giving Week, making a choice as to which organisation and cause to support can become a little overwhelming.