As a NGO in Assam Akshaya Patra has been providing mid-day meal in Assam since February 2010. Currently, it feeds more than 53,000 children every day covering 592 government schools.

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The Akshaya Patra Foundation (C) Copyright (2015) All Rights Reserved
NGO in Assam – Serving Children Amidst the Seven
Hills

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The Akshaya Patra Foundation (C) Copyright (2015) All Rights Reserved
By establishing a centralised kitchen unit as a mid-day meal NGO in Assam, Akshaya
Patra made its advent into the north-eastern part of India. Assam is a valley surrounded
by seven hills of the neighbouring six states. A state that is proud of its lush green habitat
and rich flora and fauna is also in the run to reach 100% literacy level. The literacy rate of
Assam in 2011 was estimated to be 73.18 which is slightly below national average of
74.04%. However, the socio-economic status of many sections of the state requires
children to struggle for a nutritious meal and education too. To overcome this scenario,
Akshaya Patra received an invitation from State Government to start providing mid-day
meal in Assam that led to the establishment of a centralised kitchen in Amingaon near
Guwahati in February 2010.

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The Akshaya Patra Foundation (C) Copyright (2015) All Rights Reserved
Since 2010, there has been no looking back and the beneficiary base has only been
increasing. Currently, this NGO for children provides mid-day meal to over 53,000
children of 592 government schools in the vicinity of Amingaon location. Over the years
of service, the NGO has witnessed the positive change that has come about in the lives of
children with the initiation of the mid-day meal in Assam. Thus the Non-Governmental
Organisation in Assam looks forward to spread its operations in the state so that more
children can be benefited by the mid-day meal programme. The meal menu caters to the
local palate of the region and it includes rice, dal (curry made of pulses) and a variety of
vegetables accompanied with other delicious dishes like kheer that’s served during the
week.
Here is a small story of one of the beneficiaries of this NGO for children. Krishna Das, a
Standard IX student of a government school in Sualkuchi, hails from a village in the
banks of the Brahmaputra River. She says that for the past four years she and her friends
have been travelling 20 kilometers to and fro on foot every day to reach school. It takes
them about 50 minutes to reach school because there is no school in her village. The
roads are not motorable and rains add to these existing woes when it becomes nearly
impossible to venture out of homes. Only a year ago the village got water supply, until
then residents had to rely on natural water sources. One half of the village is yet to
receive electricity connections. Amidst all these hardships Krishna’s parents encourage
her and her elder brother to continue their studies. Krishna says that the mid-day meal in
Assam has been of tremendous help for herself and many like her who hails from very
humble families. This meal sustains their energy until they reach back home in the
evening along with being a nutritious meal in the afternoon. As she aspires to become a
professional that will promise her a regular income, she also hopes that soon her village
will be connected with roads and have facilities like schools and hospitals. Know more
about beneficiaries of the NGO in Assam.
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