Have you ever thought, how would it be to uphold hopes and give wings to lakhs of aspirations, every single day? Well, The Akshaya Patra Foundation, an NGO in India has been doing this for the past 21 years. In 2000, with the vision, “No child shall be deprived of education because of hunger’, Akshaya Patra began serving freshly prepared, nutritious school meals to children in government schools and government-aided schools. It is one of the pioneers in implementing the Midday Meal Programme in partnership with the Central Government and various State Governments.
Akshaya Patra has progressed from providing meals to 1,500 children at five schools in Bengaluru in 2000 to benefitting 18,00,907 children in 19,039 schools in 58 locations across 13 States and 1 Union Territory in 2021.
The Midday Meal Programme impacts lives of children in more ways than what’s visible on the surface and Akshaya Patra is well-aware of this impact. Hence, it strives each day to provide high-quality, nutritious meals to children across India. More often than not, this meal is the reason why parents send their children to school with the hope that children will receive at least one full meal a day. Their reason of sending children to school may not primarily be that for education, but it certainly opens up the path to education and children witness that their far-fetched dream of going to school has finally come true. This turn of events instil a sense of confidence in them that it is possible to achieve their dreams.
Stories of hope
Here’s sharing the hope stories of two Akshaya Patra beneficiaries from among 18,00,907 beneficiaries.
• Inspired by “Gully Boy” a popular Bollywood movie mixed with his sheer interest in music, Rajesh, a student of Chandrabaghabai Education Society is all set to become the next sensation as a rap artist. He already writes his own lyrics and makes music out of anything; just by tapping his hand and pencil on the desk, Rajesh creates a variety of rhythms. And once he has found the right tune for the lyrics, he confidently raps it in front of the whole class with his friends as beatboxers. His fluency in English and Hindi is worth a mention. His determination to become a rap artist become even more pronounced as he shares, “I visit my neighbour’s house twice a week to watch shows of my favourite artists and I try to learn from their styles.” Rajesh is a true performer and have received appreciation of his principal and the entire school. He says, “No work is a task, if you do it wholeheartedly. And my heart beats to rap music. I want to be a rap artist. I know it is not all that easy and I don’t have a Bollywood background. But I will work very hard with all my heart and get to the top on my own.”
• Not many of us can turn a flaw into our strength, but Roshni, a student from Higher Primary School, Odisha did it. A white patch on the face shadowed most of Roshni’s schooldays. She was nicknamed as patchy, white-patch etc. Roshni felt humiliated and every day became more and more traumatising. Gradually, she distanced herself from everyone, stopped eating food because of the fear that certain food may worsen the patch. One day, Roshni’s friend introduced her to the internet and that changed everything for her. She read about the patch on her face and understood that all along there was no reason to feel insecure about the patch or the food she ate. Instantly, she accepted the mark as her identity and decided to become a Cosmetic Surgeon. Alongside she also read up on the kind of food that is beneficial for her skin. While doing so, she browsed a little more to know about the NGO that serves daily lunch at her school, The Akshaya Patra Foundation. She was pleasantly surprised and happy to know that the Foundation ensured complete cleanliness while preparing the food and prioritised children’s safety at every step. Since then, she has never hesitated to eat her school meals. Roshni’s teachers were glad to witness the positive change in her. They support her morally and financially as an encouragement to achieve her dreams. Today, Roshni is a confident girl who is good at academics and participates in all co-curricular activities. She says, “I want to give confidence to people who are insecure about their looks. I want to become a Cosmetic Surgeon and be the best that Odisha has.”
Support Akshaya Patra to nurture more dreams
This NGO in India strives to make each day better, happier, and fulfilling for children. It aims to feed 50-lakh children by 2025. Join the mission and instantly make a difference in the lives of children by contributing online donation. Your one moment of generosity will change the lives of children for the better. Step in to give hope and nurture budding dreams because every bit of your support matters.