Celebrate Diwali 2019 with The Akshaya Patra Foundation | Gift A Meal

Make Diwali 2019 a celebration of
victory of good over evil, light over darkness, and knowledge over ignorance.

Diwali is a festival of lights and is one of the most-awaited festivals in India. People across the country light diyas, decorate their houses and offices, offer prayers, distribute gifts and sweets to near and dear ones, organise get-togethers, and enjoy fireworks. Diwali celebration has its significance across various belief systems but the symbolic cord that runs across all of them is the victory of good over evil, light over darkness, and knowledge over ignorance.

Diwali gift ideas

Diwali is one of those festivals where people gift each other as a mark of love, goodwill, respect, and gratefulness. We always look for unique Diwali gift ideas to make the celebrations memorable and joyful. Catering to the ever-growing demands and needs of each generation, the market is flooded with both traditional and new-age gifts; and the overwhelming offers by brands and online stores indeed spoil us for choices. Festive apparels, sweets, gadgets, home appliances, home decor items, eco-friendly gifts and the list goes on – our list of ‘to be bought’ never ends. While you already have listed down whom to gift what, would you like to make Diwali 2019 a little different than usual?

Add ‘Gift a Meal’ to your list of Diwali gifts 

As you brighten up your home with diyas, spread light to the lives of children belonging to challenging socio-economic backgrounds. All you have to do is, provide them with school meals!

Yes, your donation on Diwali to The Akshaya Patra Foundation will make sure more than 1.8 million+ children receive nutritious lunch on each school day. Akshaya Patra is an NGO in India implementing the Mid-Day Meal Scheme for the past 18 years. Through this programme, the NGO provides freshly cooked, wholesome meals to more than 1,802,517 children in 16,856 Government and Government-aided schools in 51 locations across 12 States and 2 Union Territories of India.

Your choice of adding ‘Gift a Meal’ in the list of Diwali gift ideas will:

·         Defeat classroom hunger by nourishing children with the goodness of wholesome meals;

·         Brighten up their lives with health and fitness by countering lack of nutrition; and

·         Empower them with education and knowledge to triumph over the ignorance that comes with illiteracy.

The best part of ‘Gift a Meal’ is, by choosing to contribute Rs. 1,100 as donation on Diwali, you can gift a year full of daily school meals to a child.

 This Diwali, multiply your joy by sharing a part of your festive light with children for whom the ray of hope lies in the meals they receive at school!

Observe International Day of the Girl Child with Akshaya Patra

11^th October is International Day of the Girl Child.

The International Day of the Girl Child is an annual and global observation held every 11^th of October. The aim of observing this day is to highlight and address various needs and challenges girls face around the world. It is observed so that concerted efforts can be made to promote empowerment of girls as well as uphold their rights. In order to touch upon and address each aspect in totality, this day is celebrated based on specific themes, with the theme for 2019 being “GirlForce: Unscripted and Unstoppable”. The progress that has been made in the past years has been remarkable – be it in the area of education, skill development, rights, and breaking stereotypes – yet a lot more is needed to be done especially among those girls belonging to rural areas, war-hit zones, and those suffering from disabilities. 

"We need to uphold the equal rights, voices and influence of girls in our families, communities and nations. Girls can be powerful agents of change, and nothing should keep them from participating fully in all areas of life."

 - António Guterres, UN Secretary-General.

Empower girl children with Akshaya Patra

The Akshaya Patra Foundation is one of the oldest mid-day meal NGOs in India. It has been serving freshly cooked, nutritious meals to school-going children for the past 18+ years by implementing the Mid-Day Meal Scheme. The mid-day meals are a source of nourishment, an incentive for children to attend school, and a strong factor in promoting continuity of schooling for children belonging to challenging socio-economic backgrounds. Currently, Akshaya Patra provides nutritious mid-day meals to more than 1.8 million children, on each school day across the length and breadth of India. When you sponsor a child through Akshaya Patra, you give wings to their dreams.

On the occasion of the International Day of the Girl Child, here is sharing the dreams of a couple of girl child beneficiaries of Akshaya Patra:

The above-mentioned were the dreams of just three girls and there are many thousands of such dreams. This International Day of the Girl Child, allow these tiny girls to dream and empower them to achieve it by choosing to feed the children with Akshaya Patra.

Did you know about Daan Utsav or the Joy of Giving Week?

He who has never denied himself for the sake of giving,
has but glanced at the joys of charity.  - Anne Swetchine

The above words directly resonate with the spirit of Daan Utsav, formerly known as the Joy of Giving. Daan Utsav is an annual week-long celebration observed across the length and breadth of India. It is the biggest celebration of humanity and the spirit of giving back to the society. The Joy of Giving Week brings people from all walks of life together to do something good for society, to help people in need, to spread joy and hope among those who needs it the most. More than charity, it is a platform that gives each and every one the opportunity to share whatever they have – from something as basic as food to resources, money, skill, and time. The Joy of Giving Week is all about what we have and how much we willingly share with those who lack in it.

Celebrate Daan Utsav with NGOs

NGOs across the country celebrate the Joy of Giving Week with much fervour and enthusiasm. They provide a good platform for everyone to involve themselves in the spirit of this philanthropic celebration because they observe it with the single intention of bringing hope and joy among their beneficiaries.  Similar is the reason of The Akshaya Patra Foundation’s Daan Utsav campaign; it is solely intended to support children.

The Akshaya Patra Foundation is a mid-day meal NGO in India that has been serving nutritious school lunch to children regularly for the past 18+ years. Along with being the source of nourishment for children, mid-day meals also open the gates of school for children. This meal in more than one way has proved to be a potential incentive for education among children belonging to challenging socio-economic backgrounds. Presently, Akshaya Patra provides nutritious mid-day meals to more than 1.77 million children, on each school day across 50 locations of 12 States and 1 Union Territory.

Support children through Akshaya Patra’s #DaanUtsav2019

Akshaya Patra gives you many ways to spread joy and hope among children. Dedicate your Joy of Giving Week by contributing towards any of the below programmes implemented by the Foundation:

1. Mid-Day Meal Programme brings children to school, eliminates classroom hunger, boosts learning, and supports continuity of schooling.
2. Anganwadi Programme provides a healthy foundation for life right from the beginning by ensuring nutrient-rich meals for toddlers and pregnant women, and lactating mothers.
3. Kashirampara Project promotes inclusivity by helping tribal children of Tripura to get mainstream education and wholesome food.
4. Stainless Steel Meal Plate Programme allows children to consume their meals in a clean and hygienic manner.

Because all of us have something to give,
make #DaanUtsav2019 a bigger celebration of humanity and joy.