The Akshaya Patra Foundation, a secular, non-profit organisation that feeds 1.3 million children every day under the mid-day meal scheme, has reached a milestone of 75 crore cumulative meals served to school-going children since their inception in 2000.
Akshaya Patra is the world’s largest NGO-run mid-day meal programme working in a public private partnership with the Centre. The Foundation is currently feeding 1.3 million underprivileged children per day in government schools in eight States across India — including Assam, Orissa, Chhattisgarh Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.
The program started in Bangalore in the year 2000 catering to 5 schools and covering 1500 children and has grown over the years in size and scale to now reach over 1.3 million children across 8 States with 18 centres.
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“We thank the State and the central governments and all donors who have supported us through this journey. Akshaya Patra believes that no child should be deprived of education because of hunger and our mission is to feed 5 million children by 2020,” said a statement issued by Madhu Pandit Dasa, chairman of The Akshaya Patra Foundation.
Akshaya Patra caters to 1 per cent of the 120 million children that the government scheme covers — a figure very significant for one single NGO to do. Akshaya Patra’s work has created very wide ranging social impact among the children of poor and marginalised communities who go to government schools in India. For some of these children, this is the only full meal they eat every day.