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Soumik Dey
Soumik Dey

GOODWILL

Akshaya Patra aims to end hidden hunger among India's children

akshaya-mid-day-meal-pti Akshaya Patra Foundation is the largest mid-day meal provider in the country | PTI (File photo)

Among the world's largest private initiative for child nutrition, the Akshaya Patra Foundation has taken up a programme to feed a staggering five billion school children in India annually. The effort was taken up to battle malnourishment and lack of proper education for children.

“Malnourishment and hidden hunger has for long affected child development and education. It is time to create this sense of urgency and call for action against this,” said Sridhar Venkat, CEO, The Akshaya Patra Foundation.

Currently, Akshaya Patra feeds about 2.4 billion school-attending children in the country, and aims to double this figure in the next three years.

To help it achieve this goal, eight corporate partners have structured their CSR spending to come in line with the Akshaya Patra cause, and are funding its 'Feed the Future Now' programme, Venkat added.

Among the eight corporate partners that the feeding programme has onboarded so far are Glaxo Smith Kline Consumer Healthcare, Facebook, Nestle India, pepsico, PVR, Reliance Fresh, The Lalit Hotels, Viacom18 and 92.7 Big FM. “These corporations have committed to support our programme through these three years, and would also drive contributions for Akshaya Patra's initiatives to set up new kitchens,” said Venkat, at the sidelines of the launch of the 'Feed the Future Now' initiative in Delhi.

“Our initiative is guided toward how Akshaya Patra would become irrelevant by 2040. The latest initiative is also guided by the same principle,” said Venkat.

The children feeding programme is currently running 28 kitchens in 12 states. Each of its kitchens are capable of feeding 50,000 to 100,000 school children. Under the present programme, it aims to have 50 kitchens in all states in the next three years.

Among these states, the Uttar Pradesh government under Akhilesh Singh Yadav had committed financial support in setting up 11 Akshaya Patra kitchens in the state. “We hope that the present administration under Yogi Adityanath will also continue with the commitment.”

The programme also plans new kitchens in Goa, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Jharkhand and Uttarakhand. So far, each Akshaya Patra meal costs about Rs 11 (18 cents) and the programme receives about Rs 6 support from the Union and state government put together.

Maneka Gandhi, union minister for women and child development, pledged her support for the programme and said that her ministry will support it and also take it to all states.

Congratulating the corporations that have aligned their school feeding programmes with Akshaya Patra, Gandhi said, “This is the ideal way to go forward. We have to eradicate child malnutrition from this current high rate that is prevalent in India. It is important that these feeding programmes are run with compassion for children and not just with an aim to feed.”

“The focus should not be on feeding just food, but providing a nutritious meal. I believe children should be provided packets that contain 600-1000 calories and nutrients, and urge the Akshaya Patra Foundation to take up this initiative,” said Gandhi addressing the inaugural. 

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Topics : #Midday meal | #NGO

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