What Role NGOs Play in India and How Akshaya Patra is Contributing?

There are people like Sachin Tendulkar and Priyanka Chopra that have made the world notice our talent, on the other hand there are some who are trying to bring a positive change in Indian society by working and impacting at the grass root level. The Akshaya Patra Foundation is one such non-government organisation that’s playing the role of nutrition missionary in India since 2000 to eradicate undernourishment among kids and ensure that no child opts out of school because of hunger.

The Akshaya Patra Foundation is truly demonstrating the role of an NGO committed to helping the cause of food and education in India. The noble acts of making donations in someone’s memory or doing charity fundraising for the needy are helping millions of children come to school every day. Know how-

1. Better living conditions for all

So many children in India have to do menial jobs at the age when they are supposed to attend school to earn meals for the day. The people in need are helpless and the capable ones cannot always manage to directly reach out and help. Here’s when an NGO’s role in India comes into play. The NGOs act as a connecting medium between needy and facilitators. Akshaya Patra, with the help of donations received by donors in memory of near and dear ones, has been able to serve over 1.6 million children in 13,808 schools across 12 states in India. In a way, this NGO is contributing and letting us contribute in providing better living conditions for all the underprivileged people of India.

2. Educated India equals better India

Most of the challenges that India is facing as a country can be dealt well by educating the uneducated masses in every remote corner of the country. Opening schools in all the villages is not the only solution because there are problems like classroom hunger too, that can prevent children from coming to school. In order to combat this problem, the role of NGOs like Akshaya Patra becomes crucial. By providing wholesome mid-day meals as an incentive, this organisation has been able to encourage students to attend classes and motivate them to achieve success in life. We may have no clue but doing some charity fundraising or donating in memory of beloved’s can be a gift of hope to someone in need.

3. Better reasons to be known for

Issues like poverty, illiteracy, slow progress, etc., sometimes overshadow all the goodness that India can be known for. Several NGOs in India are playing their role to fight such problems. They are striving hard to let India be known only for its growth and prosperity. Undernourishment among children is one of the major issues in India, against which, Akshaya Patra has missioned itself. This NGO aims to eradicate hunger which has proved to be an obstacle to learning. When the present is improved, the future can be better. And if a small help from our side can make any good impact, why not do it?

So let’s come together as a nation and involve ourselves in better causes. There’s no greater joy than giving someone a ray of hope. You may simply do some charity fundraising for the cause. Help a child today!

Interns NGO Internship Experience

Here are few interns shared their experience of working at Akshaya Patra which is certified as Great Place to Work by the Great Place to Work Institute. They have shared the experience of working an NGO, challenges faced, skills gained and more. Read the blog to know the NGO internship experience.

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.

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!

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.