The NGO’s mission to feed the children and ensure they attend school regularly has been widely lauded. In 17 years of its operation, it has grown into a mega project that feeds over 1.6 million children across India everyday

1. AKSHAYA PATRA CELEBRATED
17 YEARS OF FEEDING THE
FUTURE

2. The Akshaya Patra Foundation © 2017
The Akshaya Patra Foundation was born in 2000. It started with feeding 1,500 children in
Bengaluru. Since its founding, it has been responsible for a visible improvement in the health
of children, along with increased enrollment, steady attendance and better concentration
during school hours. The Foundation works towards the cause of ‘food for education’,
ensuring that every child in India is healthy and educated.
Facing challenges head-on in its mission to feed 5 million children by 2020, Akshaya Patra is
running the largest school lunch programme. The Foundation feeds over 1.6 million children
studying in 13,800+ schools across India. The meals are prepared in its 33 kitchens across 12
states of India.
While Akshaya Patra is a well-known NGO in the country today, it’s mid-day meal scheme is
one of the largest non-government mid-day meal initiative in the country. The programme
addresses the critical problem of malnutrition and chronic hunger among children.
Furthermore, schools where the programme has been introduced have seen dropout rates
fall by an average of 10%,as parents are keen to keep their children in school, even if only for
the certainty of a nutritious meal. The programme aims to feed over 5 million school children
by 2020.
‘Neonatal’ problems
The Mid Day Meal Scheme was mandated centrally by the Government in 2003. Akshaya Patra
partnered with the Government to serve cooked meals in schools. To tackle classroom hunger
in association with the Government was a welcome progression for Akshaya Patra. Any
donation to the NGO begets tax exemptions.

3. The Akshaya Patra Foundation © 2017
This partnership works towards:
 Eliminating classroom hunger
 Increasing school enrolment
 Increasing school attendance
 Improving socialisation among castes
 Addressing malnutrition
“An army marches on its stomach.” –Attributed to both Napolean Bonaparte and Frederick
The Great, the quote is applicable to children too as the army of children are an “intellectual
army”.
A fruitful tie-up
To improve primary education and counter classroom hunger, the Government developed
two significant programmes:
1. Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA); and
2. Mid-Day Meal Scheme (MDMS)
Through the flagship programme SSA, the Government aims to achieve Universalisation of
Elementary Education (UEE) in a time-bound manner, by offering free and compulsory
education to the children aged between 6–14 years. However, the socio-economic scenario
did require an incentive to further the SSA initiative. The Mid-Day Meal Scheme, which aims
to Feed The Children came by. The MDMS focuses on providing a free lunch at all Government
schools to enhance enrollment, retention and attendance, and improve their nutritional
levels. It was a noteworthy initiative as the impact of this scheme was seen across the country.
The Foundation follows both centralised and decentralised kitchen formats to implement the
programme. Out of these, 13 centralised kitchens of the Foundation are ISO 22000:2005
certified and the remaining are in the process of getting certification. Working in partnership
with the Central and State Governments, with the support of numerous philanthropists,
Akshaya Patra aims to feed 5 million children by 2020.
Shape the future of these children, as you shape yours. Join the cause. It takes just Rs 950 to feed a
child for one year. Donate today.
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