Akshaya Patra, a Bangalore-based non-government organisation (NGO) has entered the Limca Book Of Records (National) for running the world’s largest school meal programme providing food to almost a million children across six states every day.
With the motto of providing ‘unlimited food for education’, the NGO, started in June 2000, reaches out to 9,73,147 children providing mid-day meals in Bangalore , Hubli-Dharwad, Bellary, Mangalore and Mysore in Karnataka, Jaipur, Nathdwara and Baran in Rajasthan, Vrindavan and Mathura district in UP, Puri and Nayagarh in Orissa, Gandhinagar and Ahmedabad in Gujarat and Hyderabad and Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh. Akshaya Patra serves three item menu to children as a part of their mid-day meal programme.
Madhu Pandit Dasa, President of Akshaya Patra is the visionary who initiated this programme. Being an IITian, Madhu Pandit Das thought of developing a technology-driven operating model for the well-being of the less privileged children of India.
Akshaya Patra’s unique kitchen is the best example for the most excellent use of technology and science for social cause. Their sophisticated kitchens cook more than a lakh meal in less than 5 hours and is capable of cooking up to 2,50,000 meals at a time. Their well-planned distribution system has been a part of curriculum of various management institutions.
Akshaya Patra’s public- private partnership is the main source of funds for its operation. This NGO is also supported by industry houses, foundations and individuals. Infosys is one of the major supporters of this foundation along with Cisco, Bosch, ABB etc.
Headed by highly-qualified board of directors, Akshaya Patra has different sections of team, which takes care of the managerial and operational part of it. And a team of about 3,000 volunteers help this organisation in executing the idea effectively. The organisation has branches in Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Mumbai, Delhi, the USA and the UK.
“It has an imaginative approach that has the potential to serve as a model for other countries," said US President –elect Barack Obama, who is all praise for the outstanding work done by the NGO.
“Your use of efficient and innovative business practices to scale up in just a few years from feeding 1,500 schoolchildren daily to almost a million is a powerful demonstration of what is possible when people work together,” he said in a recent letter to the organisation.
Moulding a healthy and intelligent generation is the motto of Akshaya Patra as today’s children are tomorrow’s citizens.
Source: http://sify.com/news/fullstory.php?id=14831459
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