“If you can’t feed a hundred people, then feed just one.” A powerful quote by Mother Teresa can bring a massive change to millions of Indian children if each one feeds just one.
Today, India is among the 31 nations where the level of hunger is “serious”.
Stunting (low height for age) and wasting (low weight for height) are the two dangers that India faces today. Additionally, due to a lack of adequate nutrition, children cannot focus on any of the activities at school.
The daily nutritional intake of children—especially those from low-income backgrounds—will determine their ability to focus in school, achieve their dreams, and conquer poverty.
Since 2000, Akshaya Patra is an NGO in India that is determined to work towards the cause of nourishing children every day. Today, Akshaya Patra’s reach is across 14 states and 2 union territories in 19,039 schools due to the support of millions of benevolent donors.
At Akshaya Patra, an NGO in India, one’s ultimate dream to impact underprivileged lives and feed the hungry can come true. When you donate to this NGO, you can rejoice in feeding 1.8 million children for an entire academic year.
Hunger matters
Before starting the Mid-Day Meal Programme at Akshaya Patra, the authorities visited schools to discuss the requirements. The headmaster of the first school in Makali immensely appreciated the initiative. He said, “This is a very good initiative. Children here don’t get even one proper meal a day. So many of them faint in class. They cannot concentrate because they are always hungry.” (Source: Rashmi Bansal’s God’s Own Kitchen)
Every school had similar reactions. They were eager to see their children benefiting from the mid-day meals and doing well in life.
When you donate online to Akshaya Patra, you can change a life right from where you reside. You can be rest assured that your donations will be used with the greatest efficiency by the world’s largest NGO-run school lunch programme to feed the hungry children.
How mid-day meals help children
A meal must contain more than just carbohydrates and proteins. Robust immunity, biochemical reactions, strong bones, and healthy development of vital organs in a child’s body need micronutrients and proteins too.
Moreover, nutritional requirements change as the child grows.
A growing child between 2-12 years of age requires a caloric intake of 1000-2200 kcal a day. A child can receive it by consuming adequate carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. They help in a healthy cognitive and physical development of a growing child.
Keeping this in mind, Akshaya Patra prepares meals separately for primary and upper primary school children according to the prescribed proportions. The Foundation also ensures that every beneficiary gets a balanced combination of nutrients in every mid-day meal.
Akshaya Patra’s balanced meal plan
Akshaya Patra’s cyclical menu is designed to cater to local palates across northern and southern regions of India to avoid wastage of food. For instance, in South India, rice is served with sambar/rasam and a vegetable curry. While in North India, the meals contain dal khichdi or roti/puri served with dal/vegetable curry.
Ingredients such as vegetables, grains, and millets are used according to quantities declared by the Government of India, National Institute of Nutrition (NIN), and Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD).
Every meal a child receives carries carbohydrates, proteins, and micronutrients like iron, folic acid, vitamins, minerals etc. According to WHO, the deficiency of any of these micronutrients in a human body can lead to ‘severe and even life-threatening conditions’. (Source: who.int)
Final Thoughts
Tackling classroom hunger in India can be one of the crucial steps to fueling dreams of children. When you donate online, not only do you support meals and education but also nurture children for an entire school year.
So, become a member of Akshaya Patra’s donor family. Contribute today.
