What did
you have for lunch?
Such a simple question, yet, a powerful one. It is
very normal to hear answers like idli, puri, sambar rice, dosa, etc. But what
would your reaction be when you hear nothing but silence in response? Hundreds
of second line of questions are bound to arise in your mind – why the silence,
why aren’t you responding, didn’t you eat anything, etc. Such is the plight of
millions of children in India.
To change this hunger scenario, children have to be
fed.
But how?
The Mid-Day
Meal Programme was started in India to feed millions and millions of hungry
school-going children who hail from challenging backgrounds. One such
organisation that supported Government’s Mid-Day Meal Scheme is The Akshaya Patra
Foundation that provides school lunch to children on a daily basis.
What is the
history of Akshaya Patra?
It all started with a vision that "No child in India shall be
deprived of education because of hunger." In the year 2000, school meals
were served to 1,500 children studying in five Government schools in
Karnataka’s capital, Bengaluru. By providing wholesome meals, Akshaya Patra gives them the required nourishment
and motivation to help them pursue their education for a better future. With
support from the Government and donors alike, it feeds 1.8 million children on
a daily basis. By working on a Public-Private Partnership model, it aims to
feed 5 million children by 2025.
What does a
school meal contain?
School meals served by The Akshaya Patra Foundation,
caters to nutritional requirements of children. A variety of nutritious,
locally palatable items are included in the menu to make sure that children
enjoy their meals. This means that
children in Karnataka are served Bisi Bele Bath or Sambar and Rice while
children in Rajasthan are served with Dal and Poha.
How does
Akshaya Patra implement the Mid-Day Meal Scheme?
To ensure maximum children benefit with mid-day meals, Akshaya Patra operates
two types of kitchens:
·
Centralised Kitchens
These kitchens are located in urban and
semi-urban areas that have a capacity to cook 50,000 to 1,50,000 meals every
day. These large cooking facilities use automated machines to meet the
operational requirement.
·
Decentralised Kitchens
These kitchens are located in areas which
have difficult terrains and improper road connectivity. Here, women self-help groups
(SHG) take up the cooking process. They are trained and are cook under constant
vigilance of Akshaya Patra’s Process and Quality Officers.
No matter which type of kitchen serves
school meals to children, hygiene and cleanliness is a top priority. You can donate to children’s school meals
and help them achieve their dreams of pursuing their career to become highly
responsible citizens of India.
Your donations are a source of food for
children for one whole year. They do not have to think of where their next meal
will come from.
Be liberal
to uphold dreams of little children.
Donate
towards their daily school meals.
