Tuesday 24 June 2014

Mid-day meal programme in Odisha

The Akshaya Patra Foundation has been implementing the mid-day meal programme in Odisha since June 2006. As a NGO in Orissa, the Foundation provides mid-day meal in three locations of Odisha namely Puri, Nayagarh and Rourkela. Together it feeds 121,242 children every day. It operates both centralised and decentralised kitchen model to implement the mid-day meal in Odisha.

The Akshaya Patra Foundation began its eastward move by implementing the mid-day meal programme in Odisha. Established in June 2006, Puri was the first centralised kitchen in Odisha. In March 2007, this Indian NGO made its way to Nayagarh - an interior location in Odisha. Inaccessibility, challenging geographical terrain and difficult roadways posed a concern in establishing a centralised kitchen. Hence, Akshaya Patra used the decentralised model of kitchen to prepare mid-day meal for children of Nayagarh. The strategic partnership through Corporate Social Responsibility initiative of SAIL (Steel Authority of India) and RSP (Rourkela Steel Plant) helped the NGO to expand its mid-day meal programme to Rourkela; making it the third serving location of NGO in Orissa. Rourkela started its operations in November 2013 with a centralised kitchen.

As a NGO in Orissa, Akshaya Patra serves 55,835 children in 648 Government schools of Puri. In Nayagarh, this NGO feeds 24,580 children covering 352 schools while in Rourkela it feeds 40,827 children across 433 Government schools. Akshaya Patra operates both centralised and decentralised kitchens to implement the mid-day meal programme in Odisha. The region as a whole has a high need for the mid-day meal programme.

Government support and aid from philanthropic individuals and corporate supporters have helped Akshaya Patra throughout the journey of 14 years. It is this continued patronage of supporters that the Foundation has been able to feed 1.39 million children across the country. Akshaya Patra online donation for nonprofits offers a platform for donors at par with any other leading. Online donation for nonprofits have picked up pace among supporters due to ease and convenience of contributing to a NGO. Whether it is online donation for nonprofits or spreading awareness about mid-day meal programme, whether it is to make a campaign go viral or share a video of an important development in the organisation, Akshaya Patra is sure to make use of its online social platforms like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and the like.

However, remaining specific to the NGO in Orissa; more than lakh children have benefitted from the mid-day meal programme. Most of these children come from economically backward families where receiving one meal a day is also a big question. These children have their own dreams and aspirations. Their determination to achieve their goals does not get deterred by the hardships they go through each day. Know more about these children in Stories of Odisha.

Choose to be an agent of hope for the children through this NGO in Orissa. Get Involved with the Akshaya Patra programme.