Make your special days more memorable!

‘A joy shared is a joy doubled.’

As individuals, we have our share of joys and sorrows. But, there is no doubt that during our lifetime we encounter innumerable reasons to celebrate and cherish. And, we celebrate these special occasions in many ways – parties, get-togethers, going on holidays, exchanging gifts, giving surprises and the like. Well, at the end of this short blog you will know that there is another way of celebrating our special days too!

Often times we get so tangled in our daily routine that we hardly get a chance to think anything beyond it. Thus, when joys knock at our door, we remember to open it only for our near and dear ones. Well, here is a person who opened the door for few extra guests:

Manoj Kumar is a Marine Pilot with Reliance Port and Jamnagar Terminal Ltd., Sikka Gujarat. Recently, he had generously donated to an NGO and said, “For me, charity means sharing with my fellow human beings. I had once heard Mr. Narayan Murthy talking about Akshaya Patra and its functioning. I liked the concept and hence got engaged with the NGO. I will keep donating a minimum of 10% of my salary to Akshaya Patra on special occasions such as on birthdays of my wife and sons, wedding anniversary of my parents and the like.” When I heard about Manoj Kumar, I delved into it a little more only to discover that there are many humanitarians like him who choose to make a difference by including the not-so-privileged ones in their lives.

Here, Manoj chose to get involved with Akshaya Patra because he wants to bring about a positive change in the lives of children. The Akshaya Patra Foundation is a mid-day meal NGO providing nutritious school lunch to children of government and government-aided schools across 12 states of India. The Foundation has been in the service of children since 2000 and over the 17 years, it has by far sustainably impacted the lives of more than 1.7 million children. The mission of this NGO is to feed 5 million children by 2020. Humongous task indeed but is possible to achieve if we all pitch in for this cause. Akshaya Patra provides several opportunities for everyone to participate in its cause such as online donation, sponsor a school, charity fundraising, along with donating on special occasions, celebrations, events, and festivals. In this way, the NGO welcomes you to be a part of their mission at any time and from anywhere.

In conclusion, it was an eye-opener for me because I never thought of charity as a way of celebrating special days. So, all I would say is let’s make our special days more memorable. Let’s spread joy and goodwill by choosing to donate for special occasion.

Brief glance of all the latest happenings in Akshaya Patra

The Akshaya Patra Foundation is an NGO in India implementing the Mid-Day Meal Scheme since 2000. Cognizant of the significance and importance of the Scheme, Akshaya Patra has been strategically expanding its reach. The Foundation has grown from feeding 1,500 children in one location to feeding 1.7 million children across 36 locations in 12 states. Akshaya Patra has had several milestones during these years, and here are some of the recent developments.

• Inauguration of a hi-tech kitchen – On 30 March 2018, Akshaya Patra inaugurated its largest and one-of-a-kind hi-tech mega kitchen in Kandi, Telangana. This kitchen has the capacity to provide mid-day meals to over one lakh children on each school day. This kitchen has been established in partnership with the Infosys Foundation with the latter granting INR 18.50 crores to meet the entire construction cost of the kitchen. Some of the salient features of this kitchen are Silikal Industrial Flooring, ReFlex Reverse Osmosys System, COMBLOCK Boiler for Steam Generation, and ANDICOS Waste to Energy Generation System. Click here to read more. 

• Introduction of millets in mid-day meal – In order to enhance its NGO role in India as a mid-day meal provider, Akshaya Patra introduced a pilot in partnership with the Government of Karnataka to include millets in the mid-day meal scheme during Organics and Millets 2018, International Trade Fair held between 19 and 21 January 2018. With International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) as the knowledge partner, Akshaya Patra aims to improve the nutritional intake of the beneficiaries. This pilot will serve millet-based dishes like upma, bisibelebath, sweet and khara pongal twice a week in addition to the existing mid-day meal menu to 1,622 beneficiaries across 10 government and government-aided schools. Click here to read more.

• Fortified oats for Gujarat children – In association with PepsiCo Foundation, Akshaya Patra will serve nutritious meals fortified with oats to almost 33,000 children studying in 170 schools in Gujarat. PepsiCo Foundation has committed INR 3.75 crores towards this project and aims to serve 77 lakh nutritious meals to children in the state. Click here to read more.

• MoU signed between Nutrition International India, ICDS, and Akshaya Patra - On 18 May 2018, Nutrition International India, ICDS programme, and Akshaya Patra signed a MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) in Bengaluru, Karnataka. Through this collaboration, Nutrition International India and Akshaya Patra will collectively aim to make the meals more nutritious for the most vulnerable women and children in India, who are served under the ICDS programme through Akshaya Patra’s kitchens. Click here to read more.

• S.S. Rajamouli Support for Akshaya Patra’s #IShareMyLunch Campaign -  #IShareMyLunch - a recent campaign by Akshaya Patra, received wholehearted support by S.S.Rajamouli, the famed Director of the award-winning Indian film Baahubali. He also urged others to support the campaign. Click here to read more.

In conclusion, more and more people are becoming aware of the importance of healthy food and education for the overall development of children. Thus, along with support from the government, Akshaya Patra is receiving sincere support from the Corporate world and the civil society. By choosing to donate to charity you too can be a part of the Foundation’s mission to feed 5 million children by 2020. When we strive together, we create a better world. Support Akshaya Patra today!

How CSR helps Akshaya Patra?

Corporate Social Responsibility often abbreviated as CSR is a concept of giving back to the society and the environment as part of the organisation’s value system. It is a way to assess and take responsibility for the organisation’s effects on the social and environmental well-being. In short, CSR is a way to initiate a lasting change so that the entire society progresses together. Often times, Corporates partner with various NGOs depending on the cause they identify with to fulfil this responsibility.

CSR initiatives prove to be a win-win for both the parties - the Corporates and the NGOs. The Corporates get a platform to fulfil their responsibility towards the society and NGOs receive help to stride closer to their missions. As every NGO have their specific roles so does mid-day meal NGOs. And, The Akshaya Patra Foundation is one such mid-day meal NGO in India that has received remarkable support from many Corporates as part of their CSR initiatives. These CSR initiatives have furthered the Foundation’s cause and also supported its efforts in fulfilling the mid-day meal NGO role in India.

Akshaya Patra implements the Central Mid-Day Meal Scheme in a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model. This model helps to garner support from all sections of the society and fulfil the responsibilities for being the NGO role in India. Currently, the Foundation provides mid-day meal to more than 1.7 million children in over 14,000 government schools located in 36 locations of 12 states.

This has been possible due to the unceasing support from the Central Government of India, various State Governments, Corporate donors and Individual donors. However, keeping our focus on CSR, many Corporates have come forward to support Akshaya Patra’s cause of providing nutritious, freshly cooked meals to school going children and supporting their education. Briefly, here are the contributions of some of the Corporate Partners:

• Vista Equity Partners

Vista Equity Partners, a US-based world’s leading investment firm, focused exclusively on enterprise software, data, and technology solutions, partnered with Akshaya Patra by pledging a contribution of USD 1 million over five years to aid in the Foundation's mid-day meal plan. Talking about the partnership, Robert F. Smith, Founder, Chairman and CEO of Vista Equity Partners was quoted saying, "Our culture at Vista emphasizes the importance of positively impacting and engaging with the communities in which we live and work. At Vista, we invest in the future. And Akshaya Patra’s work does that. By ensuring that students across India have the nourishment they need to be able to learn, the foundation plays an integral role in the education of Indian youth, and we are honored to help them execute on their mission." Click here to read more.

• Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ Ltd.

Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ Ltd. is one of the world’s leading financial groups, partnered with Akshaya Patra to support the construction of the Foundation’s Narsingi kitchen that will provide mid-day meals to more than 35,000 children in Telangana. At the inauguration ceremony Mr. Ryoichi Shinke, Regional Executive for India, The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, Ltd. Was quoted saying, “MUFG has been present in India for over 60 years and we have been committed to supporting not only its economy but in making a difference to the local community. By supporting this noteworthy initiative by The Akshaya Patra Foundation, we are providing the necessary conditions for children to attend school and do well, so that they may eventually have a brighter future and contribute to the long-term growth of the country.” Click here to read more.

• Rotimatic

Rotimatic is the world’s first fully autonomous and connected robot that mixes, kneads, flattens, cooks and puffs, from flour to flatbread in just 90 seconds. Rotimatic partnered with Akshaya Patra as part of the #RethinkVday campaign and donated 5 cents to Akshaya Patra for every roti (Indian flatbread) made. Also, for every purchase of Rotimatic, the Company will support mid-day meal of one child for an entire year. Click here to read more.

Aside from the above-mentioned, Akshaya Patra is supported by many other Corporates such as Auma, GEP, Landmark Group, Novartis, and NetApp to name a few.

In precis, CSR initiatives are significantly important for uplifting and sustaining positive changes in the society and the environment. It is also heartening to see that in recent years, CSR initiatives have gained quite a momentum and are taken with utmost sincerity by businesses - big and small. And, not to forget, CSR initiatives have helped Akshaya Patra to expand its reach and benefit millions of children. It is good to be a part of the bigger change and with Corporate volunteering Akshaya Patra provides a platform for all Corporates to join hands in providing wholesome food to school children so that they eat healthy and read right. And, as they say, change happens with you, so wouldn’t you step in as an influencer for a better and brighter future?