NGO in Odisha Serving Wholesome Meals Every Day

The Akshaya Patra Foundation first set its foot in this eastern land as a NGO in Odisha in June 2006 by setting up a centralised kitchen in Puri. In the following year, it expanded the mid-day meal programme in Odisha by making an advent to Nayagarh, a remote location of Odisha. Here the Foundation set up decentralised kitchens to cater to the need of the children. Nayagarh is one of the two locations that follow the decentralised model of kitchen infrastructure; the other being Baran in Rajasthan. Akshaya Patra has been gradually, strategically and sustainably expanding the school lunch programme in Odisha with its current kitchens in Cuttack, Puri, Nayagarh and Rourkela. In total, the Foundation is serving mid-day meal to 125, 242 children every day across 1,462 government schools in the state. But, there is no time to rest. Witnessing the heart-warming impact in the health and education of children, the Foundation wants to further expand this programme in to other areas of the state.

As a mid-day meal providing NGO in Odisha, Akshaya Patra operates centralised kitchens in three locations and decentralised in one location. However, both the kitchen formats mandatorily has to abide by the food safety standards set by the Foundation. The decentralised kitchens are run by Women Self-Help Groups under the supervision and guidance of Akshaya Patra kitchen operation representatives. To suit the taste of the region, the menu of the mid-day meal programme in Odisha includes tasty, nutritious food like rice, roti (Indian flatbread), dal (lentil curry), sambar (lentil based vegetable stew) and delicious vegetable dishes. On various occasions, the Headmasters and teachers of schools have praised the service of this Akshaya Patra for its commitment, regularity and consistency in providing hygienic, clean and nutritious mid-day meals to children each day.

As Akshaya Patra works in a Public-Private Partnership model, it receives support from the Central Government of India and various State Governments in the form of grants and subsidies. The NGO has been accorded the permission to seek donations from Indian and foreign supporters under Section 35 AC, 80 G of the Income Tax Act, and Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA), 1976. Under these Acts a donor who donate online to charity or offline become eligible to receive 100% tax exemption for contribution above Rs. 500. Donors have played a very significant role in the expansions and developments of the mid-day meal programme. Serving as a NGO in Odisha and nine other states, Akshaya Patra has witnessed and acknowledged the importance of supporters in bringing positive changes in the lives of children.

When a supporter makes a donation to charity, he or she supports the Foundation to serve nutritious meals to children throughout the year. This meal in turn provides energy and nourishment to children who are all filled with aspirations and hopes for a bright future. The organisation’s donation methods will instantly take you through the easy steps to donate online to charity.

Join hands with Akshaya Patra to support the mid-day meal programme in Odisha and across India.