Meal Plates Bring the Comfort of Healthy Food

The hazards of using disposable plastic plates, cups, spoons and tumblers are well-known. People are much aware about its harmful effects on our body and are making healthy choices by opting for either steel, earthenware or glassware crockeries or cutleries. So, why not introduce this hygienic aspect in the lives of mid-day meal beneficiary children too?

 

Children studying in Government and Government-aided schools get free meals as a part of the Mid-Day Meal (MDM) Scheme every day. The Akshaya Patra Foundation is one of the pioneer MDM NGOs in India. It is recognised as the world’s largest NGO-run school meal programme that is present in 52 locations spread across 12 States and 2 Union Territories, namely Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Daman and DNH, Delhi, Karnataka, Odisha, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Tripura.

 

The Foundation serves healthy meals to improve the nutritional status of children in India since 2000. The whole purpose of serving healthy meals is lost if children eat them from disposable plates. Hence, Akshaya Patra initiated the Meal Plate Programme, encouraging supporters to sponsor a child with stainless-steel meal plates.

 

How does it benefit when you sponsor a child’s meal plate?

·         Children can savour their meals comfortably.

·         Boosts health of children by making sure they eat meals from clean and hygienic stainless steel plates.

·         When you sponsor a plate to a child, you also contribute towards protecting the environment. 

 

Healthy meals served to children are customised as per the state the MDM are served in. For example, Aloo Matar is served in Odisha, Dal Dhokali is served in Gujarat and Pulsu curry is served in Telangana.

 

To serve school meals every day, Akshaya Patra started its Mega Kitchens that would prepare and serve healthy meals in large quantities. These kitchens became the Centralised kitchens that would follow certain guidelines. The kitchens were equipped with stainless steel of grade 304, cauldron, trolleys, rice chutes, boilers, dal & sambar tanks, etc.

 

Seeing various benefits of using stainless steel, many corporates and firms have joined hands with Akshaya Patra to sponsor steel meal plates to children as part of the MDM Scheme. Tumblers, steel plates and spoons have been a part of corporate giving. The following organisations have partnered with the Foundation to feed school meals to children on a daily basis.

The effects of midday meals on children:

 

·         Addresses classroom hunger

·         Improves concentration and ability to focus

·         Addresses malnutrition and improves nutritional status

·         Decreases school drop-out rates

 

 

Your support towards providing unlimited food for education to children helps in building a better future for them. Sponsor a child’s meal and meal plate to ensure healthy and happy school life.

Join Akshaya Patra’s efforts now!

Akshaya Patra’s COVID-19 Relief Service in Maharashtra

Day after day, the number of people affected by COVID-19 is increasing rapidly all over the world. Millions of people are left stranded without homes and without a job in hand or proper food to eat. There are around 2.84 million cases in India and Maharashtra has the highest number of COVID cases. The latest numbers in Maharashtra as of 21 August 2020 according to the Government are:

Confirmed cases: 6,43,289                          

Number of deaths: 21,359

Number of recovered patients: 4,59,124

Maharashtra is the second-most populous state in India and was unprepared when the pandemic struck the nation. Being densely populated, the spread of the virus was very rapid and the lockdown that was mandated to curb this spread affected millions of people. Many NGOs in India that worked towards different causes, came forward with various Corona relief services, to help people in need.

One such NGO is The Akshaya Patra Foundation which is synonymous with feeding mid-day meals to school children in India. The Foundation is operational across 52 locations spread across 12 States and 2 Union Territories of India. It also has centralised mid-day meal kitchens in Thane and Nagpur; it’s from these kitchens that Akshaya Patra is carrying out its COVID-19 food relief service in Maharashtra.  

Akshaya Patra’s relief service amid COVID-19 crisis

To help the marginalised and low-income segments of the society comprising of migrant labourers, daily-wage workers, construction-site workers and needy people survive the pandemic, Akshaya Patra started providing them with healthy, cooked meals and essential grocery kits. The Foundation is currently serving the needy across 19 states. As on 13^th August 2020, Akshaya Patra has already served 2,84,92,715 cooked meals and distributed 7,69,668 grocery kits to marginalised families. 

In Maharashtra, Akshaya Patra began its COVID relief service in March to provide food to people from migrant communities, regularly. This NGO has been helping the needy people across various locations in Mumbai, Thane, Nagpur, Pune, Nashik and Aurangabad. As on 13^th August 2020, the organisation’s impact in Maharashtra has been:

·         Served 6,12,385 cooked meals, and

·        Supported 57,502 families with essential grocery kits.

With your COVID donation, you can provide daily cooked meals as well as grocery kits packed with pulses, oil, rice, spices and vegetables that can serve a family for 21 days.

Extend a helping hand to enable people to fight the virus and upkeep their health too. 

Support Akshaya Patra’s COVID-19 Food Relief Service in Maharashtra and across India.

Hope stories of children from Telangana

Life is filled with fun and frolic as kids. There is nothing to worry about other than eat, play, study and friends. Childhood holds the best place in our memories; school is one place where you make moments that remain etched in your brains till you grow up to be old.

Remembering lunch breaks and the thoughts of sharing home-cooked food with friends brings a satisfying smile on our faces. But, there are millions of children who cannot afford to bring home-cooked food. These children come to schools only because they get free meals once a day that they would otherwise not have access to. If you happen to visit any Government and Government-aided schools, you can see the excitement on children’s faces on hearing the school bell ring during the lunch break. Millions of NGO’s that feed meals to children belonging to challenging socio-economic backgrounds in India. One such NGO is The Akshaya Patra Foundation that feeds unlimited food for education to support the health and education of children. The Foundation is present in 52 locations spread across 12 States and 2 Union Territories of India.

 Akshaya Patra supports the Government’s Mid-Day Meal Programme and helps nourish children who want to achieve big in life; these are “hope” stories that they wish to come true when they grow up. Here are a few stories of children from Telangana.

Vanaja is a 13-year-old, 7^th standard student from Margons Ragon School – Mehboobnagar. She dreams of becoming an Agriculture officer one day and help farmers like her father who struggle a lot to yield the fruits of their hard work. It was her father’s dream to watch her grow up to become a big personality. Once she fulfils her dream, it will be her biggest achievement and a gift to her father. 

Mahesh is a 7^th standard boy studying in UPS Rajampet, Sangareddy district. He is a street-smart child who clearly knows that chasing dreams for other’s happiness will not take him any far. His goal is set on becoming an MBA graduate and partnering with NGOs like The Akshaya Patra Foundation that provides free unlimited meals to children like him. He aims of only one thing – being so famous that every news channel and news report will have his name on the Headlines. 

Shruti is a 3^rd standard student from Margons Ragon School who does not really know what she wants to be when she grows up. She has only one hope story; she says “A coolie’s daughter does not have to be a coolie, I will become something better.” As of today, she is deciding if she wants to be an Agronomist or a Biology teacher to teach children about interesting topics.

 

Munna is a 14-year old boy studying in 8^th standard in Mehboobnagar’s M.P Prathamika Patashala. He is a little different in terms of his ambition when compared to his friends who want to become police officers, army officers, etc.; he wants to become a Telugu teacher. He believes that he can impart knowledge and morals more effectively if he communicates in the local language. 

Deepika is a 7^th standard student from UPS Rajampet, Sangareddy district. She is very determined on becoming a television anchor at this young age. She is a fluent speaker and makes every event or activity energetic in her school with her live commentary. She does not miss any opportunity to showcase her talent. She often tells her mother, “Amma, one day, you will see me on TV.” 

To read more such stories of children, click here. 

Stories of children are many, but the one thing that drives them to follow their dream, is the healthy and hot food they receive at school. The Akshaya Patra Foundation’s food is filled with health and nutrition. This NGO in Telangana serves mid-day meals to 1,198 Government and Government-aided schools. The ingredients used in making the menu are carefully chosen by following the guidelines laid down by the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD). This food gives children the required nutrition for overall cognitive and physical development. 

You too can support the Foundation to provide healthy meals to children all over India by donating online here. Children are the next generation who will drive the future of the nation.

Your contribution is essential to make a healthy tomorrow. Support Now!

Increase immunity of COVID-19 Patients

Half the year has passed away in a swift since COVID-19 has left all of us in a state of indefinite chaos. It has created a sense of wanting in all of us to lead normal lives where there was more certainty, security and stability. With each passing day, the number of COVID-19 patients have been increasing rapidly. 

As on 29^th July 2020, according to the Government of India:

• Confirmed cases: 1.53 million
• Recovered cases: 988,000
• Number of deaths: 34,193

The number of cases has instilled fear and all of us are preparing ourselves to avoid being infected by the Coronavirus. It is crucial for all of us to educate ourselves about the virus, how it affects the human body, and what measures COVID-19 patients have to take to recover themselves.

What are the precautionary measures to be adopted?

1. Cleaning of hands regularly with soap, water and sanitiser.
2. Maintain safe distance from anyone who is sneezing or coughing.
3. Avoid touching your eye, nose and mouth.
4. Stay home if you feel low.
5. Seek medical attention if you have fever, cold or cough.
6. Eat healthy and home-cooked food as much as possible. 

What type of food should people consume to increase resistance?

According to WHO, good nutrition is crucial for health, especially during times like this when the COVID pandemic requires immunity to fight the virus. To help individuals, WHO has specified guidelines for food to be consumed when under periods of quarantine. 

Prioritise fresh fruits and vegetables

Use fresh ingredients that have a short shelf-life. Use perishables over non-perishable products. If any meals are left-over, freeze them until your next meal. 

Be aware of portion sizes

Being under quarantine, where you are isolated and will not have any work to distract your mind, people will develop a tendency to over eat. Seek guidance on the right portions for adults and children.

 

Limit your carbohydrate intake

A low-carb diet, with less amount of rice and starchy food will help in slowing down diabetes. Increasing protein-rich food will help in keeping you in good shape, provided you exercise.

 
Increase intake of immunity-boosting vegetables

Natural immunity boosters are commonly found in kitchens. Ginger, turmeric, gooseberries, garlic, black cumin, basil leaves, etc. are excellent to improve body’s resistance against bacterial and viral infections.

 

Indian food, when prepared with the right ingredients and measurements, can boost immunity. With millions of lives being affected, there are many people who cannot afford immunity-rich food. The Akshaya Patra Foundation has taken up the feeding of COVID-19 patients in cities like Bengaluru and Ramanagara in Karnataka. With support from the Government and COVID donations from various corporate and individual donors, the Foundation feeds 3 meals a day to COVID-19 affected people. Overall, it feeds 750 meals a day that include 250 meals for breakfast, 250 meals for lunch and 250 meals for dinner. While patients are fighting the virus with all their might, we can help them by feeding healthy and immunity-rich food by making online donations to Akshaya Patra.

Extend your hand to feed immunity-rich diet with Akshaya Patra. Support now.