NGO in Lucknow, its Kitchen and mid-day meal

The Mid-Day Meal Scheme is an initiative of the Government of India to provide nutritious school lunch to children of government schools and government-aided schools across the country. Over the years, this Scheme has proved itself to be a supporting pillar in the success of education-related initiatives too.

Studies show that mid-day meal has had a positive impact in increasing enrolment, attendance, and performance of children. It has also played a major role in reducing drop-out rate among children. To amplify this impact, The Akshaya Patra Foundation, a mid-day meal NGO has been sustainably expanding its operations and strategically increasing its beneficiary base so that more and more children can be benefitted. It began providing mid-day meal in Uttar Pradesh by establishing a centralised kitchen in Vrindavan in August 2004. 

Akshaya Patra has two centralised kitchens in the state – Lucknow and Vrindavan. On each school day, it provides freshly cooked, locally palatable, nutritious meals to more than 2-lakh children in Uttar Pradesh. The below table shows the location-wise reach of Akshaya Patra in Uttar Pradesh:

Akshaya Patra meticulously designs its meal menu to suit the local taste while keeping the recommended nutrition levels intact so that children readily consume the meal and gets nourished appropriately. So, as an NGO in Lucknow and Vrindavan, Akshaya Patra’s mid-day meal menu consists of items such as plain rice, black chana pulao, vegetable pulao, roti, mixed dal, bottle gourd chana dal, palak dal, mix vegetable curry with soya chunk, aloo matar, aloo desi chana sabji, aloo rajma, raitha, and kheer.

Impact of the meal

Archana, a Standard VI student of Salempur-Pataura Primary School in Kakori, Lucknow, has become an inspiration for many at a very early age. An ardent athlete, her tryst with track-and-field began when she was in Standard III. Her Physical Education teacher has supported her and motivated her to keep improving in her talent. 

Over the past years, Archana has won many medals and trophies in various field events, and the most celebrated among them are her gold medals in long jump, 100m, 200m, and 400m sprint. She says fitness and health is primary when she is training and practicing and hence she eagerly waits for Akshaya Patra meals because this meal provides her with the required nutrition. She looks up to P.T. Usha as her idol and the children of her school, her village, and neighbouring villages looks up to her as their idol. Archana aspires to serve the nation by joining the Police Force. And, believes that her sports background will be an added advantage in attaining her goal. 

Archana is just one among the 2-lakh beneficiaries of the NGO in Lucknow who is gradually stepping towards her dream for the simple reason that she has got the opportunity to attend school and is receiving healthy meals every day. Now, imagine the effect and transformation among children when each of them is supported with mid-day meals! 

Support school meals and get tax benefits

Join the efforts of Akshaya Patra in providing mid-day meals to children. Your donation will have a dual benefit – first, it will support education of children by providing them with nutritious school meals; second, your contribution will be considered as tax deductible donations. So, use this opportunity to benefit children in need and get yourself exempted from tax too. Donate now!

Akshaya Patra's relief service during natural disasters

Food, water, and shelter are the basic human needs. But, uncontrollable natural calamities such as earthquakes, floods, and the like snatches away these amenities in an instant. During such challenging times, the entire human community comes together in aid of the sufferers. As a response to tackle these calamities, many NGOs have taken up relief services as their core cause providing immediate relief like rescue, temporary shelter, provision of food and water, etc. along with helping people to resettle and deal with the after effects of calamities. Addition to these specialised relief NGOs, there are other NGOs such as The Akshaya Patra Foundation who step in to provide help during natural disasters.

Akshaya Patra’s disaster relief services

Akshaya Patra is an NGO in India providing mid-day meal to more than 1.7 million children on each school day across 12 states. Aside from its core cause, this NGO is actively involved in providing relief services during natural disasters by providing food and water to affected people. They have not only helped distressed people in India but also across the borders in Nepal. Below is a quick overview of Akshaya Patra’s proactive response so far:

Aside from the above mentioned, Akshaya Patra was also quick to respond to the devastating situation in Kerala and Coorg. The NGO is currently providing food to the affected people of these regions on a daily basis. Akshaya Patra has been serving all three meals – breakfast, lunch, and dinner - in Kerala since 13 August 2018 and in Coorg since 20 August 2018. So far, it has served more than 1.5 lakh meals as part of its relief service. Click here to read more on Akshaya Patra’s disaster relief services.

Be a part of Akshaya Patra 

You can be a part of Akshaya Patra’s cause and its disaster relief activities by signing in as an NGO volunteer. By being a volunteer, you will not only be involved in the service of children but also be of help to people in distress. You can also raise funds for this NGO in India that will help to provide school meals to children and also help in providing disaster relief. Act now. Be a part of Akshaya Patra today!

The impact of mid-day meal in Andhra Pradesh

Headquartered in Bengaluru, Karnataka, The Akshaya Patra Foundation began its journey of providing mid-day meals in Andhra Pradesh by establishing itself as a NGO in Visakhapatnam in October 2008. Since then there has been no looking back, and over the past 10 years, this NGO has strategically and sustainably expanded its reach to three more locations in the state namely Kakinada (2015), Mangalagiri (2015), and Nellore (2017). The Foundation operates centralised kitchens in all the four locations and provides locally palatable meals on each school day to children of these locations. The below table shows the location-wise reach of Akshaya Patra in Andhra Pradesh:

Impact of mid-day meal 

Over the years, Akshaya Patra has seen tangible impact of the Mid-Day Meal Scheme in Andhra Pradesh and across India. This Scheme has significantly improved enrolment rates, regularity and attendance of children, immunity and health of children, concentration levels, and academic and co-curricular performance. The below-mentioned determined goals of children are a testimony to the positive effects of mid-day meals in nourishing and nurturing young hearts of Andhra Pradesh:

By providing mid-day meal in Andhra Pradesh, Akshaya Patra is striving to nourish children with healthy food and nurture their dreams by supporting education. To maximise the impact of the meal Akshaya Patra has designed its menu keeping in mind the local taste of Andhra Pradesh, hence serving items such as rice, vegetable biryani (a popular rice dish), pulihora (tamarind rice), sambar (a mixed vegetable and lentil curry), green leafy vegetable dal (lentil curry), pappucharu (a type of sambar), vegetable curry, raitha (a curd-based side dish), janthikalu (a South Indian savoury snack), sweet pongal (a rice-based sweet dish), and banana. 

You can increase the impact 

Akshaya Patra has been implementing the Mid-Day Meal Scheme in Andhra Pradesh with the support of the Central Government of India and the State Government of Andhra Pradesh along with philanthropic donors. You can help increase the impact of this Scheme by joining this on-going effort. Your contribution to Akshaya Patra will be considered as donations under Section 80G i.e. you can avail tax exemption on your donated amount. So, when you donate, it is win-win for the child and yourself – the child receives healthy meals and rightful education and you get the benefits of tax exemption. Choose to donate. It just takes Rs. 1,100 to feed one child for an entire school year. Act now!

NGO in Odisha and its mid-day meal impact

The Akshaya Patra Foundation, is a mid-day meal NGO headquartered in Bangalore, Karnataka. It implements the Mid-Day Meal Scheme across 12 states of India. It began its journey as an NGO in Odisha in the year 2006 by establishing its centralised kitchen in Puri. Since then the NGO is strategically expanding its reach and over the years it has established centralised kitchens in Rourkela and Bhubaneswar, along with starting decentralised kitchens in Nayagarh.

Each school working day, Akshaya Patra provides healthy, nutritious, and locally palatable meals to 1,61,241 children studying in 1,586 government schools across the state. The below table shows the location-wise reach of Akshaya Patra in Odisha:

By providing mid-day meal in Odisha, Akshaya Patra is striving to support education and uphold the dreams and hopes of children. Hence, to ensure that every child readily consumes the meal and receives adequate nutrition, Akshaya Patra has designed its meal menu for Odisha children based on their local taste including items such as rice barabati (an Odia dry vegetable dish), dalma (an authentic Odia dish made of lentil), along with other items such as rice, rajma mix sabji (a dish made of kidney beans and vegetables), white lobia curry (black-eyed peas curry), mix vegetable curry, aloo matar paneer curry (a curry made of potatoes, peas, and cottage cheese), aloo soya chunk matar curry (a curry made of potatoes, soya chunk, and peas), and kheer (rice-based sweet dish).

What happens when children are nourished every day?

Yes, when children are nourished with healthy meals and nurtured with education, they get the confidence to dream. It makes their determination stronger and firmer. It not only supports their physical and cognitive development but also gives them the hope that their future is better and brighter. To know the children of Odisha and their dreams more closely, click here.

You can create an impact too

With the support of the Central Government of India and the State Government of Odisha along with philanthropic partners such as Rourkela Steel Plant, The Kusuma Trust (UK), RC Infinity Foundation (Kolkata), LIC Golden Jubilee Foundation, NALCO, and the Odisha Mining Corporation, and benevolent donors, Akshaya Patra has by far been able to impact 1,61,241 children in the state. But, there are many more children to be reached.

Join the efforts of the Government and Akshaya Patra to transform live s of children and create a better society. Choose to donate for a child. It just takes Rs. 1,100 to provide unlimited food for education to a child for an entire school year. Make an everlasting change. Act now!

How Akshaya Patra is moulding future heroes?

It is no novel idea that our future is a manifestation of our present deeds. Hence, if we wish to see a bright and prosperous future, we need to work towards it right from now. In line with this, The Akshaya Patra Foundation, an NGO for children in India is nourishing and nurturing 1.75-million children by providing them with nutritious school lunch on each school day across 12 states of India.

Before delving into how this NGO is moulding future heroes, let’s take a quick look at the aspirations of a handful of Akshaya Patra beneficiaries:

Aren’t these children heroes in their own ways? At a tender age, they have already set a goal for themselves and have the willpower to achieve it. Now, it is our responsibility to mould them and make them ready for the future. These were just a handful of aspirations from among over 1.75 million aspirations. Hope stories of children will introduce you to many more such zealous and determined children.

The role of Akshaya Patra

Akshaya Patra is cognisant of the fact that inadequate nutrition hampers age-appropriate cognitive and physical development among children. It hinders the learning process and the ability to concentrate. It also negatively affects the level of immunity and health in children. Thus, as an NGO for children, Akshaya Patra has been in the service of providing freshly cooked, healthy, and nutritious meals to children since 2000. So that more and more children can benefit from the Mid-Day Meal Scheme, Akshaya Patra operates two types of kitchen – the centralised kitchen and decentralised kitchen. The centralised kitchens serve food to children in the urban and semi-urban areas, whereas the decentralised kitchens cater to children in remote locations.

Alongside, Akshaya Patra is also honing the talents of its beneficiaries under the initiative called ‘Giving Every Dream A Chance’. This initiative is an attempt by the NGO to guide and train children in various fields of their interest such as dance, theatre, origami, culinary, science, and sports, with the support of other organisations and individual mentors. With this initiative, Akshaya Patra aims to provide a strong foundation to the dreams and goals of children.

By ensuring children receive nutritious meals on each school day, Akshaya Patra is supporting their education. By providing coaching to polish their talents, Akshaya Patra is instilling the hope that their dreams are achievable. Thus,

Be the Changemaker

The actual change happens when the whole society gets involved in the process of altering the present condition. Thus, take your step towards being a Changemaker. This Independence Day, pledge to feed children of India. Your contribution will ensure healthy food and rightful education for millions of children. Be the hero for the future heroes!

New Kitchens of an NGO in Rajasthan Feeds Hungry Children

The seventh most populated state in India, Rajasthan is home to 24% of the population aged between six and fourteen. However, it is also battling with child malnutrition, low literacy, and high out of school and school drop-out rate. Rajasthan is one of the four BIMARU (Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh) states that have the lowest literacy rate and learning outcomes compared to other states in the country.

Rajasthan has the fourth lowest literacy rate in the country and has the lowest female literacy rate of just 52.66% (Census 2011). Amongst the several measures taken by the Central and State Government to improve this situation, the Mid-Day Meal Scheme is proving to be a potential intervention. To further the efforts of government, many NGOs such as The Akshaya Patra Foundation has partnered to provide mid-day meal in Rajasthan.

It has been 14 years since Akshaya Patra is providing mid-day meals in Rajasthan. It began serving meals from 2004 by establishing its first centralised kitchen in Jaipur. Witnessing the impact of the meal in the health and education of beneficiary children, this NGO in Rajasthan strategically expanded its operations to Baran in 2005, Nathdwara in 2006, Jodhpur in 2013, and Ajmer in 2016. Recently, in 2018, the Foundation inaugurated two new centralised kitchens in Bhilwara and Jhalawar. With the addition of these two new locations, the Foundation is nourishing 26,701 more children thereby increasing the beneficiary base to 2,27,253 children from the earlier 2,00,552.

The Bhilwara is the 6th and the Jhalawar is the 7th kitchen in the state. The cost of the Bhilwara kitchen construction was sponsored by Rural Electrification Corporation Limited (a Navratna Enterprise of Government of India). It is currently feeding 11,480 children in 83 schools. The Jhalawar kitchen has been sponsored by D.S. Group and is currently feeding 15,221 children in 157 schools. All these kitchens directly impact the health and education of children. The beneficiary children receive at least one nutritious meal per day and eventually receive the much-needed education.

Here is the location-wise reach of this NGO in Rajasthan:

The expansion of Akshaya Patra’s operations is a result of support from the Government and philanthropic donors. It is a testimony that when the government and the community come together for a cause, it multiplies the impact. Thus, choose to be the catalyst by contributing donation for NGO. Your donation will positively change the lives of children and will be an important intervention in the progress of the country.

Akshaya Patra's Mid-day Meal Secret

Have you ever read or viewed an interview of a successful personality where the interviewer doesn't include the question, "What's the secret behind your success?" Guess not! Call it the awe of success or impact of the achiever, all of us want to know what do these achievers do differently that they reach such inspiring heights. And, the same question has been posed to The Akshaya Patra Foundation because of the magnitude of work carried out by the Foundation.

Akshaya Patra is an NGO that implements the Mid-Day Meal Scheme across 12 states in India. The Foundation is headquartered in Bengaluru and has been in the service of children since 2000. The Foundation provides mid-day meals to more than 17-lakh children across 38 locations in 12 states on each school day. Turning back the pages to 2000, this NGO began providing meals to just 1,500 children in five schools in Bengaluru and today it is nourishing lakhs of with healthy and nutritious meals. And, this popped the question, "What's the secret behind this scalability?" So, let's begin from the first!

- Importance of mid-day meal

For many of us, we don't have to worry about our next meal. Alas, that's not the case for many children across the country. These children hail from not-so-privileged backgrounds and thus are faced by the uncertainty of receiving meals. In a scenario like this, mid-day meal comes as a ray of hope for these children and their parents too. Mid-day meal acts as an incentive for parents to send their children to school with the hope that the children will receive at least one proper meal for the day. This brings children to school. And, once they are at school, they not only receive stomach full of wholesome meals but also the much-needed education. The mid-day meal is a win-win for health and education - be it for the specific sector or for the growing children. 

- Akshaya Patra kitchens and meal

To implement the Mid-Day Meal Scheme and benefit children right from the grass root level, Akshaya Patra operates two models of kitchen - the centralised kitchen and the decentralised kitchen. The centralised kitchens are huge cooking units that can cook up to one lakh meals per day. The mega kitchen in India serves meals to schools located in urban and semi-urban areas. The decentralised kitchens serve meals to children in remote areas. Currently, the NGO operates centralised kitchens in 36 locations and decentralised kitchens in two locations. These kitchens follow standard operating processes and many of the kitchens are ISO certified facilities.

The NGO adheres to the nutritional requirement as stated in the Central Mid-Day Meal Guidelines. However, it also prepares its meal menu to suit the local taste so that children enjoy their meal and consume it readily. Thus, Akshaya Patra's meal is freshly cooked, nutritious, hygienic, and tasty.

- Akshaya Patra food is...

- So, what's the secret behind Akshaya Patra’s meal?

Nutrition content, spices, special recipe... we can keep guessing and adding to this list. But, the real secret behind the dedication, efforts, expansion and sustainability of the Foundation is the smile and satisfaction on a child’s face after having a plate full of fresh and healthy meals. This video will reveal what keeps Akshaya Patra motivated to reach out to more and more children.

- Conclusion

Maybe we all have a secret to our success, or maybe the 'determination to achieve something' itself becomes the real ingredient for our success. However, for this Foundation, the smiles and aspirations of children are the reasons or say the ‘secrets’ for the success of implementing the Mid-Day Meal Scheme for the past 17 years!