In
a state battling malnutrition, where the Government—even though willing to do
something—is bogged down by lack of resources, NGOs have a crucial role to play
when it comes to socioeconomic development. The tie-up between Akshaya Patra
and the State Government to serve mid-day
meals in Uttar Pradesh is an example for others to follow.
Akshaya Patra has become a familiar name in several parts of the
country; courtesy, the nutritious meals it serves to school children as a part
of the Mid-day Meal Programme—arguable
the largest programme of its kind in the world. For this, the organisation has
got into a tie-up with ten state governments across the country, including that
of the state of Karnataka, where it all began in 2001.
Akshaya Patra began with 1,500 children in 2001. The ‘will’ was always
there; so it was a matter of time before the organisation started expanding reaching
as far as Assam in East, Gujarat in West, and Uttar Pradesh in North. Of the 22
centralised kitchen units The Akshaya Patra Foundation (TAPF) runs in the
country, two are located in the state of Uttar Pradesh: one in Vrindavan and
the other in Lucknow.
The Vrindavan kitchen is among one of the earliest kitchens the
Foundation started. It was opened in August 2004, effectively making Uttar
Pradesh only the second state where the NGO had expanded its operations. It was
ISO 22000:2005 certified in 2008. As of 2015, this kitchen serves 166,078 children
of 1,870 schools in its catchment area.
Its second kitchen in Uttar Pradesh was set up by the NGO in Lucknow just
over a year ago. It was inaugurated on 15th March, 2015, by the Chief Minister
of the state, Shri Akhilesh Yadav. It serves 11,373 children of 110 schools in
and around the city of Lucknow. Together, the two kitchens feed 177,451
children of the state’s government schools.
Watch the video of CM of UP, Akhilesh Yadav inaugurates Akshaya Patra Kitchen in Lucknow:
Unlike the Akshaya Patra kitchens in South, which follow a rice-based
diet, the two kitchens in Uttar Pradesh follow a wheat-based diet with roti as
the staple component of the meals served. Besides roti, these kitchens also
serve khichdi, dal, vegetables, etc. The aim is to provide stipulated calories
and protein to children.
After Vrindavan and Lucknow, the State Government is expected to provide
mid-day meal in
Uttar Pradesh's other cities such as Kanauj, Varanasi, Kanpur, etc.
Even Akshaya Patra intends to expand to other parts of the country in a
bid to reach out to more children. That shouldn’t really come as a surprise,
considering that the NGO aims to reach 5 million children by 2020 and more
importantly, eliminate classroom hunger. You can play a crucial role in the
NGO’s pursuit of 5 million children by contributing.
When you donate to feed children in
need, you are basically ensuring that they don’t have to work to
support their family. Instead, they can concentrate on schooling as education
is the way out of poverty for most of these children.
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