The Akshaya Patra Foundation (TAPF) completes 16 years today. All along this 16-year journey, the Foundation has strived to address the issue of “classroom hunger” and promote “education” by providing nutritious meals to children in Government and Government-aided schools. The journey began in 2000, with the feeding of 1,500 children in 5 schools in Bengaluru. Today, we reach 13,210 schools, feeding over 1.65 million children every day in 11 states through our 27 kitchens.

Apart from school feeding, Akshaya Patra also feeds Anganwadi children, lactating mothers, and expecting women. The aim is to provide nutritious meals from the beginning of the child’s life and continue to nurture throughout the childhood, so that the child grows in the environment where social equality is for real and every child is provided a chance to learn and bloom.

Akshaya Patra is one of the best examples of PPP (Public Private Partnership) model, where Central Government, State Governments, Corporates and individual donors contribute to the cause, and the Mid-Day Meal Programme of the Government is successfully implemented through the efficient workmanship of Akshaya Patra.

Shri Madhu Pandit Dasa, Chairman, The Akshaya Patra Foundation said “It provides a great satisfaction to see the positive change one meal can make in the children’s lives. 39% of our population are children and we would want them to be transformed as assets of our country, as against liability. My heartfelt thanks to the Government of India, Ministry of Human Resource Development, all the State Governments, corporates and individual donors, who have constantly and whole heartedly contributed in upholding the philosophy of ‘unlimited food for education.’ ”

Today on November 11, 2016, as Akshaya Patra progressively voyages towards its 16th anniversary, it grows more conscious of its duties towards eliminating classroom hunger and promoting education – an earnest need of the hour. By leveraging the unique resources of the organisation, Akshaya Patra is all geared up and spurred to fulfil its mission of ‘feeding 5 million children by 2020.’

About The Akshaya Patra Foundation: The Akshaya Patra Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation headquartered in Bengaluru, India. The organisation strives to fight issues like hunger and malnutrition in India. By implementing the Mid-Day Meal Scheme (MDMS) in Government and Government-aided schools, Akshaya Patra doesn’t just aim to fight hunger but also to bring children to school.

Since 2000, The Foundation has worked towards reaching more children with wholesome food on every single school day. The organisation is continuously leveraging technology to cater to millions of children. Its state-of-the-art kitchens have become a subject of study and attract curious visitors from around the world. In partnership with the Government of India and various State Governments and the inestimable support from many philanthropic donors and well-wishers, Akshaya Patra has grown from humble beginnings serving just 1,500 school children across 5 schools. Today, Akshaya Patra Foundation is the world’s largest (not-for-profit run) mid-day meal programme serving wholesome food to over 1.6 million children in 26 locations across 11 states in India. For more details, please visit: www.akshayapatra.org