The Akshaya Patra Foundation is a not-for-profit entity serving mid-day meals (MDM) to 2 million+ government school children of India every single school day. The promise of zero classroom hunger first made in 2000, is yielding results across 67 locations in 15 states and 2 union territories today.
The Government of India mandated the execution of the Mid-Day Meal or MDM Programme (now PM POSHAN Abhiyaan) across the country to incentivise education in government schools. Akshaya Patra, among several other NGOs, became the implementing partner for the MDM programme and has relentlessly addressed classroom hunger ever since. The NGO has also proactively provided food assistance to people during emergencies like floods, rainstorms, droughts and the COVID-19 pandemic.
NGO in Andhra Pradesh
Akshaya Patra has its largest presence in two of the 15 states it serves. Andhra Pradesh is one of them, with the NGO’s state-of-the-art, centralised kitchens addressing classroom hunger across its 10 locations.
Akshaya Patra’s association with the state started in 2008 with its centralised kitchen in Visakhapatnam. Today, it has become a well-acclaimed NGO in Andhra Pradesh, nourishing 1.3 lakh+ children from humble backgrounds in Kakinada, Mangalagiri, Nellore, Ghambiram, Gudivada, Srikakulam, Kuppam, Ongole and Kalyandurg.
Recently, the Ghambiram kitchen in Visakhapatnam was certified with ISO 22000:2018. The unit prepares 16 tonnes of rice, 12 litres of dal or sambar and 300 kg of curry every cycle. Despite the enormous amount of food being cooked in the kitchen, its hygiene, quality and safety are not compromised.
These kitchens come to life at 4 in the morning every day and finish cooking by 8.30 AM. But before that, the raw materials are sorted and cleaned thoroughly, and the vessels are sterilised with steam. Customised insulated delivery vehicles then deliver the prepared meals to allotted government schools. Such a setup keeps the food hot and retains its freshness until it reaches the children.
What goes on the plate?
Pappucharu (a type of sambar), green leafy vegetable dal (lentil curry), rice, sweet pongal (a rice-based sweet dish), vegetable biryani (a popular rice dish), pulihora (tamarind rice), sambar (a mixed vegetable and lentil curry), vegetable curry, raitha (a curd-based side dish), janthikalu (a South Indian savoury snack) and bananas are cyclically served to beneficiary children in Andhra Pradesh every school day. The state government has carefully designed the menu for the Mid-Day Meal Programme to cater to the palatal preferences of these children. Accordingly, Akshaya Patra procures raw materials from approved suppliers, which undergo stringent checks for quantity and quality before being accepted into the kitchen.
The NGO in Andhra Pradesh follows a rice-based menu in for regional acceptability and less food wastage. Additionally, the different components of the meal served ensure that children consume government-approved, balanced proportions of nutrients each day.
Nurturing a compassionate society
Like all Akshaya Patra kitchens, the kitchens in Andhra Pradesh also operate on Public-Private Partnerships and receive government support to run the PM POSHAN Abhiyaan. Through the years, generous contributions from donors have helped the NGO deliver nutritious and safe meals to lakhs of children in thousands of schools, thus incentivising them to come to school, study and excel in areas of their interest.
A donation of ₹1,500 to Akshaya Patra can provide regular and wholesome meals to a government school student for an entire academic year. These children will then grow up to be qualified professionals in various fields but also be generous and compassionate because of the help they receive as children.
So, let’s join hands and rise together!
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