Akshaya Patra Foundation celebrates 16 years of serving the people

India CSR News Network

NEW DELHI: The Akshaya Patra Foundation (TAPF), not-for-profit organisation based in Bengaluru, completed 16 years today. All along this 16-year journey, the Foundation has strived to address two main issues classroom hunger and education by providing 1 nutritious meal to children in Government and Government-aided schools.

The journey began in 2000, started with the feeding of 1,500 children in 5 schools in Bengaluru. Today, this serving bowl is going to reach 13,210 schools; feeding over 1.65 million children every day in 11 states through its 27 kitchens.

Apart from serving at school feeding, Akshaya Patra also feeds at Anganwadis wherein children, lactating mothers, and expecting mothers-to-be are provided healthy and nutritious meals. The aim of this feeding cycle is to provide nutritious meals from the beginning of the child’s life which will continue to nurture them throughout their childhood, helping the child grow in the environment where social equality is for real and every child is provided a chance to learn and bloom.

Akshaya Patra is a examples of PPP (Public Private Partnership)model, where Central Government, State Governments, Corporates and individual donors contribute to the cause and the Mid-Day Meal Programme of the Government is implemented through the efficient workmanship of Akshaya Patra.

Madhu Pandit Dasa, Chairman, The Akshaya Patra Foundation said, “It provides us great satisfaction to see the positive change one meal can make in children’s lives. 39% of our population are children and we would want them to be transformed as assets of our country as against liability. My heartfelt thanks to the Government of India, Ministry of Human Resource Development, all the State Governments, corporate and individual donors, who have constantly and whole heartedly contributed in upholding the philosophy of ‘unlimited food for education.’ ”

Today on November 11, 2016, as Akshaya Patra progressively voyages towards its 16th anniversary, it grows more conscious of its duties towards eliminating classroom hunger and promoting education – an earnest need of the hour. By leveraging the unique resources of the organisation, Akshaya Patra is all geared up and spurred to fulfil its mission of ‘feeding 5 million children by 2020.’

The Akshaya Patra Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation headquartered in Bengaluru, India. The organisation strives to fight issues like hunger and malnutrition in India. By implementing the Mid-Day Meal Scheme (MDMS) in Government and Government-aided schools, AkshayaPatra doesn’t just aim to fight hunger but also to bring children to school.

Since 2000, The Foundation has worked towards reaching more children with wholesome food on every single school day. The organisation is continuously leveraging technology to cater to millions of children. Its state-of-the-art kitchens have become a subject of study and attract curious visitors from around the world. In partnership with the Government of India and various State Governments and the inestimable support from many philanthropic donors and well-wishers, Akshaya Patra has grown from humble beginnings serving just 1,500 school children across 5 schools.