Friday, 27 September 2013

Akshaya Patra Foundation Provides Food For Needy Children

There are millions of children in need of nutrition and education in India. They are present in all parts of the country, be it urban or rural. According to statistics recorded in 2010 by the United Nations Development Programme, about 29.8 percent of Indians live below poverty line. Children born in these families inevitably start working at a very young age, owing to which they skip going to school and getting educated.

The best way to eradicate poverty in a country is to make positive amendments at the grass root level. When we help needy children get educated and stand on their own feet, we give them the freedom to express, to choose a career and to live a better life.

While there is no dearth of underprivileged children, there also are a number of needy children charities all over India that work in collaboration with the government. The government supports these charities by contributing to half the funds required to execute these initiatives. Both the bodies constantly work towards making this a better place for these children.
Amongst the various moves made by the government and needy children charities, one is that of providing free lunch at government schools all over the country. Through this initiative, not only do the children benefit, it is also a great relief to their parents. When the availability of food at school is assured, parents don't force their children to work instead of going to school.
However, even today in some parts of our country, the concept of education is not considered as being of utmost importance. In such households, the children inevitable become victims of illiteracy. Fortunately, there are schools for such children in need, which make sure that every child attends school regularly. The teachers in these schools play a pivotal role by speaking to the parents of these needy children and making them understand the essentiality of education.
While this is one scenario, in another, there are many needy children at the high school level who value the efforts put by the government and charities. These children are highly motivated to study well and pursue a stable career in life.
Nisha, a rank holder from a Government High School in Karnataka believes that she is "fortunate enough to benefit free education from the government". Another topper, Prasad from a different Government school echoes similar views when he says, "No matter how many facilities are offered by private schools, they are never free of cost. But in a government school, not only is quality education provided, everything including textbooks and stationery are free of cost. It is like a boon to children in need like me."
In order to support these initiatives, donations to children in need amount to a part of the funds required to help them. It is therefore, essential for every employed individual in this country to donate to needy children as much as possible so as to make our country free of child hunger.