Akshaya Patra now delivers 2 MILLION smiles DAILY!
The esteemed 21-year-old NGO in India achieved its new feeding landmark in September, nourishing 2 million children daily! It includes children receiving food under the Midday Meal Scheme (MDM) and the Anganwadi Feeding Programme that nourishes nursing mothers along with their infants.
In the past, Akshaya Patra has been instrumental in bringing policy reforms around the Midday Meal Scheme (MDM) (now the PM Poshan Abhiyaan) and improving the nutritional value for its beneficiaries. Studies suggest that regular mid-day meal consumption reduced the chances of children being underweight and obese. It enhanced their chances of being in the average weight and overweight category along with being from short to normal in height. They also became healthier and less susceptible to anaemia, fever, diarrhoea and cough.
But with the pandemic making matters worse for underprivileged families in India, there was an immediate need to uplift them socioeconomically and bring their children back to school. Therefore, the organisation launched new initiatives in the year 2022 to reach, nourish and support more marginalised people across the country.
Akshaya Patra’s reach with new initiatives
1) Inauguration of 4 new kitchens
Akshaya Patra inaugurated four new kitchens in the first few months of 2022:
62nd kitchen in Varanasi, Gujarat: feeds over 100,000 children in 282 schools.
63rd kitchen in Dehradun, Uttarakhand: feeds over 11,900 children in 132 schools.
64th kitchen in Mansa, Gujarat: feeds over 26,000 children in 190 schools.
65th kitchen in Jorhat, Assam: feeds over 10,070 children in 156 schools.
Contributions from generous donors like The Hans Foundation and the IndusInd Bank made these kitchen constructions possible. Many delegates, including Shri Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister of India and Shri Amit Shah, the Home Minister of India, attended the inaugurations and pledged their support for the NGO’s endeavours.
2) Breakfast Feeding Programme
A review of studies around providing free school breakfast proved that it ensures adequate nutrition and energy in children to attend daily classes with improved concentration and interest. They come to school regularly, cultivate good behaviour and show improved academic performance. It also reduces expenditure in lower-income households, giving them the incentive to send their children to schools. Also, students who skip breakfast show increased errors and have slower memory recall.
Therefore, a well-designed, hygienic and nutritious diet would help children—and the Indian population in the long run—to recover from widespread undernourishment. Keeping this in mind, Akshaya Patra started serving breakfast in addition to mid-day meals in Government schools.
3) Millets in mid-day meals of Government school children
To improve nutrition for children as part of the PM Poshan Abhiyaan, Akshaya Patra signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Nutrihub, the Indian Institute of Millets Research (IIMR) and the Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR) in August. It aims to introduce millets in the meals for Government school children in Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and eventually, across the country.
Millets are proven to have five times higher nutritional content when compared with rice and wheat. They will digest well, strengthen the nervous system, reduce cholesterol, prevent heart disease, protect against diabetes, lower cancer risks, increase energy levels and nourish the muscular system in millions of underprivileged children in India, thus boosting their physical and mental health.
These small-grained cereal crops are also rich in complex carbohydrates, dietary fibre, medicinal properties, iron, zinc, calcium, niacin, B6, folic acid, potassium, phosphorous and magnesium, which are essential to curb the problem of malnutrition in India.
Furthermore, millets are native to India. They can be grown in low fertile soils with low inputs of fertilisers and pesticides, adding to the nation’s sustainable food-growing practices.
4) Sustainable food production methods
The programmes run by Akshaya Patra directly impact the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 1, 3, 4, 5 and 7, which are also the priority of the Indian Government.
Its kitchens are known worldwide for following advanced manufacturing practices and international standards of hygiene and quality, thus ensuring that the most nutritious meals reach the beneficiaries.
Now, with the new state-of-the-art kitchens, the NGO in India proves its constant efforts to integrate sustainability into its food production processes. They use solar panels for electricity generation with a heat pump and solar water heater to boil water.
Towards a sustainable future of India
The new model of the PM Poshan Abhiyaan will also allow the children to grow their own food and kitchens will source raw materials locally, thus making the mid-day meal ecosystem more self-reliant, organic and sustainable. With regular checks on each child’s nutrition levels by experts, children will recover from learning and nutrient loss more quickly. But all this is possible only with consistent support from donors!
When ₹2500 can support a child with breakfast, lunch and education for an academic year, why can each one of us not donate the minimum we can?
So, let’s end the wait and endless discussion on problems. Let’s bring health, education and opportunities to millions of underprivileged children with a few clicks online!
Our online donations can shape India’s future. Let’s contribute.
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