One in three undernourished children in the world lives in India.
And millions of children in our country go to school hungry or do not attend school at all.
Reason?
Lack of enough resources at home that pushes them to work or get married
Undernourishment that results in 1) lack of energy 2) inability to concentrate on scholastic and non-scholastic activities 3) reduced cognitive development
Malnourishment is not necessarily an outcome of a lack of food. Even those who eat three meals a day can be malnourished if they do not receive essential macro and micronutrients. Thus, children need well-researched programmes like the Mid-Day Meal Scheme or MDM (now known as the PM Poshan Abhiyaan).
Under the PM Poshan Abhiyaan, every school meal must contain essential nutrients in adequate quantities mandated by the Ministry of Education and the Government of India.
Malnourishment and Akshaya Patra
Our country is a fast-growing economy that relies on innovation and skilled human resource for development. But if our talented children do not receive food and education, they will not grow into competent individuals, thus slowing down the pace of growth of our country.
So, for a bright future with better opportunities for all our upcoming generations, we must strike malnourishment now!
And so, we did!
We, The Akshaya Patra Foundation are an NGO feeding school meals under the Mid-Day Meal Scheme or MDM (now known as the PM Poshan Abhiyaan) for 22 years. Nourishment for the education of underprivileged children has always been our prime focus.
We have come from feeding 1,500 children in five Government schools in Karnataka to 20,10,516 (2 million) children daily across 14 states and 2 union territories, with strong support from various Governments, consistent efforts and donations from our compassionate donors. We aim that no child in India should be deprived of education because of hunger and our mission is to nourish 3 million children daily by 2025.
Over the years, our NGO’s presence across the country has grown strong. Our mid-day meals (MDM) in schools are being loved at all our 65 locations as they are hygienic, locally palatable and adhere to the nutrition guidelines stated by the Ministry of Education.
In 2022, we also received the prestigious Mahatma Award for Social Good and Impact "Zero Hunger" and it would not have been possible without our donor family.
This year, our NGO also started serving breakfast along with mid-day meals and will be introducing millets to the menu in all our beneficiary schools very soon.
Now, it is your chance to give back to India by feeding its precious children. Here’s how your donations to our NGO make an impact.
He is a Class 12 student in the Science stream and his favourite subject is Chemistry. “Chemistry is my favourite subject because I get to use magic to create things every day. One day, I will make something that can help change the world, and that's why I want to become an engineer,” he says.
Vijayakumar likes to watch cricket in his free time. He also learns typing, which he believes will help him in the long run and enhance his focus. He expresses gratitude for the mid-day meals (MDM) served at school and mentions pulav as his favourite dish.
Kavya enjoys dancing, singing and writing in her free time and English is her favourite subject. She also likes Science and General Knowledge. Her favourite mid-day meal (MDM) dishes are dal, rice and sukhadi.
Support Akshaya Patra, the NGO for children
These young talents await your support to grow into skilled and responsible citizens of India and leaders of tomorrow. Join our donor family and experience the unending bliss of contributing to our country's future.
Comments