Send 1.76 million children back to school with Akshaya Patra

Each year, during the months of April and May, you will come across ‘back to school’ advertisements especially in malls and e-commerce sites. At around the same time, The Akshaya Patra Foundation, a charity for children, holds a ‘back to school’ campaign too. So, what’s the difference between the two campaigns? Well, the former is a call out to parents to fulfil school needs of their own children whereas the latter is a call out to public sector, private sector, businesses and individuals to fulfil the wish of not-so-privileged children to go back to school. And, by choosing to donate for children through Akshaya Patra, you can secure a whole year of education for more than 17.6-lakh children!

Akshaya Patra is an 18-year old NGO supporting education of children across India by implementing the Mid-Day Meal Programme. Each school day, it serves school meals to 17,62,133 children studying in more than 15,000 government schools and government-aided schools in 42 locations across 12 states. The Foundation aims at bringing each of its beneficiary back to school for a new academic year so that continuity in education can be ensured. Cognisant of the power that school meals and regular schooling can have on the development of children and future of the country, here are some supporters who have generously spread the message and contributed towards Akshaya Patra’s ‘Back to School’ campaign:

• Eros International’s partners with Akshaya Patra for #BackToSchool campaign. Click here for more details.   
• Ram Sampath, famous Indian composer, music producer, and musician supports Akshaya Patra’s #BackToSchool campaign.

@AkshayaPatra have launched #BackToSchool –A campaign to create awareness about the importance of schooling and raise funds to help reach out to more children.

I support the campaign –RT to show your support!

Help the cause: https://t.co/Bv4XtkD1cl#MiddayMeal #EradicateHunger pic.twitter.com/qzV6IsZP23

— RamSampathOfficial (@RamSampathLive) May 11, 2019

• Suzzanne Bernert, German-born Indian actress extends generous support to the #BackToSchool campaign by Akshaya Patra. 

Every child must have access to quality education and adequate nutrition – RT if you agree!
Support the #BackToSchool campaign by @AkshayaPatra and help the future of India!
Contribute Now: https://t.co/hTd6C8w0nl#FridayMotivation

— Suzanne Bernert (@suzannebernert) May 10, 2019

This charity for children encourages more and more supporters to generously contribute to this campaign because when children come to school, they are benefitted in multiple ways:

ü  Receives nutrition-rich meals daily.	ü  Receives rightful education.
ü  Improved health.	ü  Strengthening of goals and dreams.
ü  Improved concentration.	ü  Aware and confident of a better future.
ü  Better academic and co-curricular performance.	ü  Become a part of Akshaya Patra’s holistic initiatives: talent development, scholarship, and student and school transformation programmes.
ü  In all, children grow up to be healthy, educated, skilful, and resourceful citizens of India.

To conclude, there are millions of children out there, for whom there is nothing more valuable than being able to come to school. These children are determined and zealous; all they need is a little support from you and me. When we donate for children or choose to conduct an online fundraising campaign in support of these children, we take a step towards transforming their life for the better; the result of which will be explicitly visible in the near future. So, this summer, support ‘Back to School’, support children! Act now!

Book a bench to bring children back to school with Akshaya Patra

Remember those whispers during classes, those notebook games, those little help when the teacher asked you a question, quiet attack on the lunch boxes… those were the good old school days with our bench mates! 

Even after so many years of graduating from school, the memories are so fresh as if it happened just yesterday. We still smile and feel overwhelmed about those days. And, more often than not, bench mates were a strong motivating factor for us to go back to school the next day. But little did we know then, that for millions of children coming to school acts as a ray of hope for a better future.

In view of this, The Akshaya Patra Foundation, a charity for children strives each year to bring back as many children as possible to school. The Foundation is one of the oldest mid-day meal NGOs in India with a history of 18 years in service of children. Presently, the Foundation provides freshly cooked nutritious meals to 17,62,133 children of Government school and Government-aided schools in 42 locations across 12 states in India. The beneficiaries of this NGO hail from socio-economically challenged backgrounds and for them the mid-day meal bridges the distance from their homes to school.

Studies reveal that mid-day meal is a strong incentive for parents to choose school over labour for their children. This meal programme has also positively impacted the enrolment rate, attendance, health, and performance of children. By bringing children back to school day after day and year after year, the mid-day meal programme promotes continuous schooling. Regular schooling and nutritious meals empower children to become resourceful and independent citizens of the country in future.

With the objective to ensure continuous schooling of its beneficiaries, each year Akshaya Patra conducts the ‘Back to School’ campaign. It is an attempt by the Foundation to garner support from all sections of the society. ‘Book a bench’ through this campaign and support health and education of at least three children among millions of children. Online donations in support of this campaign will instantly ensure a year full of nutritious meals and goodness of learning for many deserving children.

Step forward and support Akshaya Patra, the charity for children that has left no stone unturned to bring more and more children under the ambit of the mid-day meal programme. ‘Book a bench’ now to witness a brighter, better, and transformed India! 

How back to school and mid-day meals are related in a child's life?

Education is important for a child but food more vital!

Children education is a very aspect in the progress of the immediate society, and the country at large. But, an estimated 8.4 crore children in India do not attend school. It has also been reported that India is one among the top five nations with the highest number of out-of-school children aged 6-11 years. In order to tackle this situation and make India ready to embrace the title of being the youngest nation by 2020 in terms of working age populace, the Government along with many NGOs are striving to ensure education for all. But, the matter of the fact is, to achieve 100% literacy, we need to first address the issue of hunger because it is this very factor that pushes away children from schools to work fields.

In an endeavour to counter the critical issue of hunger, the Government initiated the Mid-Day Meal Scheme, a programme that provides free school lunch to children studying in Government schools and Government-aided schools. Over the years, this scheme has gained momentum and has been successful in incentivising parents to send their children to school with the hope that children will at least receive a plate full of meal per day. The mid-day meals have potentially increased enrolment rate, attendance rate, while also countering classroom hunger and improving health and concentration levels among children.

Several NGOs have partnered with the Government to implement the Mid-Day Meal Scheme. These NGOs are able to bring about a drastic and sustainable change right from the grass root level of the society. The Akshaya Patra Foundation is one of the pioneer mid-day meal NGOs with a remarkable history of 18 years in service of children. Each year this NGO in India runs a ‘Back to school’ campaign with the objective to bring millions of its beneficiaries back to school for a new academic year. This year Akshaya Patra is campaigning to support continuous schooling of more than 1.76 million children. 

The real worth of being able to attend school is understood only by those children who has to overcome several challenges each day just so that they their place of learning. The mid-day meals and the lessons they receive nourishes and nurtures them making them confident of achieving their goals in life. Each of Akshaya Patra beneficiaries have their unique dreams and this motivates the Foundation to bring more and more children under the ambit of the school meal programme.

Today, you are resourceful and moving ahead in life and career, a big share of it goes to the education you received. Now, it’s time to empower the future generation. Come forward generously and actively is support of the ‘Back to School’ campaign. Your action will promote children education by ensuring their mid-day meals for the entire school year. Act now!

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1 Census of India 2011 data

2 UNESCO’s EFA Global Monitoring Report 200-2015

Uphold right to nutrition and education - Bring children ‘Back to School’

Bring children ‘Back to School’

‘Back to School’ – does it rekindle any memory or emotion in you? Well, all of us will have some vivid memory of our school days and even after years when we relook at those days, it fills us with immense joy. Clichéd it may sound, but schooling has a lasting impact in our life. The lessons learnt in class, the friends we shared our days with, the appreciation we received for our achievements, the guidance and pep talk we got when we failed, and the inspiration we drew from our teachers, and many such experiences has indeed played a significant role in shaping up to what we are today. And, that’s why Akshaya Patra wants to send as many children as possible ‘back to school’.

The Akshaya Patra Foundation is a charity for children in India providing nutritious mid-day meals to school-going children across the country. Akshaya Patra began its service in the year 2000 and currently nourishes more than 1.76 million children across 42 locations in 12 states, on each school day. Over the years of service, Akshaya Patra has witnessed the tangible impact of school meals on increase in attendance, enrolment, and retention rate in schools. The mid-day meals incentivise parents to send children to school thereby initiating education and continuity of the same. Heeding to this, Akshaya Patra annually conducts ‘Back to School’ campaign so that children come back for another fulfilling academic year.

Why should you support this campaign?

As a charity for children, Akshaya Patra aims at benefitting more and more children with the Mid-Day Meal Programme and its other child-centric initiatives. The beneficiaries of Akshaya Patra hail from challenging backgrounds making something as basic as food and education difficult to access. Despite obstacles and hardships, these children are strongminded and focussed to attain their life goals – all they need is a little support.

Your support to ‘Back to School’ campaign will ensure:

·         Children come back to school for the next academic year;

·         A year full of nutritious school meals and regular schooling;

·         A strong foundation upon which deserving children will build their future; and

·         Turn millions of silent dreams into reality.

How can you support?

You can support millions of children through the ‘Back to School’ campaign in more than one way:

·         Donate online: This is the easiest, fastest, and safest mode to help this charity for children with the much-needed funds.

·         Create your own fundraising campaign: By doing so, you can garner support from family, friends, and close associates and then donate the raised amount to the campaign.

·         Spread the word: Use the power of social media to spread the cause of Akshaya Patra and its campaign.

Empower a child instantly

Just like you are empowered and resourceful today, help a child to be the same. If we really want to see India prosper, we have to unite together and make health and education accessible to each and every child. It’s time we join hands and bring about a desirable change. Donate online to support ‘Back to School’ campaign at the click of a button.

About the author:

The Akshaya Patra Foundation, one of the top mid-day charities in India serves more than 1.76 million children across 42 locations of 12 states. By supporting the ‘Back to School’ campaign of this NGO, you can transform lives of children by providing them with the much-needed nutrition and rightful education.