executive summary - latest

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Akshaya Patra Foundation H K Hill, Chord Road

Bangalore 560 010, India Ph: 91 80 23471956, 23578622

Fax: 91 80 23578626

TM

Table of Contents 1 IN INDIA TODAY .............................................................................................................3

1.1 HUNGER AND EDUCATION: CRITICALLY RELATED ISSUES..........................................4 1.2 NUTRITION AND COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT...............................................................5 1.3 A CASE FOR NOON MEALS .............................................................................................6

2 AKSHAYA PATRA: STRATEGIC SOCIAL UNDERTAKING............................7

2.1 BRIEF OVERVIEW..............................................................................................................7 2.2 AKSHAYA PATRA: INCREDIBLE GROWTH .....................................................................9

2.2.1 Bangalore First… .....................................................................................................9 2.2.2 Other cities of Karnataka........................................................................................10 2.2.3 Vrindavan, Mathura District, UP ........................................................................10 2.2.4 Jaipur, Rajasthan ....................................................................................................10

2.3 THE HI-TECH CENTRALIZED MODEL ..........................................................................11 2.3.1 Operations, Logistics & Safety Measures .............................................................12

2.4 LOCALIZED MODEL.......................................................................................................12 2.5 COST-EFFECTIVE PROGRAM..........................................................................................13 2.6 TRANSPARENT, SECULAR AND PROFESSIONALLY GOVERNED..................................13

3 VIDYA AKSHAYA PATRA: TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF EDUCATION …………………………………………………………………………………………...14

3.1 ACTIVITIES......................................................................................................................14 3.1.1 Scholarships to meritorious students.....................................................................14 3.1.2 Training the Trainers .............................................................................................14 3.1.3 After-school Coaching ............................................................................................14

4 MEDICAL INTERVENTION: PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN CURE.......15

5 DOCUMENTED IMPACT OF THE AKSHAYA PATRA PROGRAM.............16

5.1 BENEFITS TO CHILDREN ................................................................................................17

6 DISTINGUISHED SPEAK ............................................................................................18

6.1 HIS EXCELLENCY DR A P J ABDUL KALAM, PRESIDENT OF INDIA...........................18 6.2 A.B.VAJPAYEE, FORMER PRIME MINISTER OF INDIA .................................................18 6.3 S M KRISHNA, FORMER CHIEF MINISTER OF KARNATAKA.......................................18 6.4 OTHER AWARDS............................................................................................................18

7 WHY SHOULD YOU GIVE?.........................................................................................19

7.1 TAX EXEMPTION FOR DONATIONS...............................................................................18 7.2 ADDITIONAL FUNDING NEEDS ....................................................................................19

8 THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS ....................................................................................20

9 CONTACT DETAILS......................................................................................................21

9.1 India & US OFFICE ......................................................................................................21

of 21 The Akshaya Patra Foundation

In India Today

“For 50 years we have been a developing nation. It is time we see ourselves

as a developed nation. We are among the top 5 nations of the world in

terms of GDP. We have 10 percent growth rate in most areas. Our poverty

levels are falling. Our achievements are being globally recognized today.

My second vision for India is Development.”

His Excellency Dr. A.P.J. Kalam, President of India


This is a dream we too nurture - to see India as a dynamic, developed country, on par with the best nations in the world.

India has significantly improved the well being of its people in recent years and the country has made steady progress on several fronts as per the Tenth Five Year Plan Report of the Government of India. Look at the key indicators:

• The average life expectancy at birth has gone up to 63 years from 49 years • Poverty is down to over 25% from over 50% in the 1950s • Male Adult literacy rate has gone up to 68% from 62% in the 1990s • Female Adult literacy has gone up to 45% from 36% in the 1990s

With Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in nominal terms of US$692 billion in 2004, India is now the world’s tenth largest economy.

Today, 108 million children attend primary school in India, making the country’s education system the second largest in the world after China.

Yet this is not enough. We still have about 45 million children out of school because they are hungry. Because they are doing menial jobs to fend for themselves. And missing out on the benefits of education, the key to significantly improving the quality of life.

Unless invested in, these children would grow into illiterate adults. With India on the threshold of development and socio-economic prosperity, it is imperative for these children to be incorporated into the mainstream society, with all its myriad opportunities for good education, better career and good health.

These are India’s current challenges—how to provide the poor equitable access to food, education, jobs and healthcare and harness the wealth of human potential?

Hunger & Education thus remain a big challenge, albeit in pockets of India.

Hunger and Education: Critically Related Issues The direct link between poverty and lack of educational opportunities has been demonstrated many times over. As Lyndon Johnson had said during the War on Poverty in the 1960s, "Poverty has many roots, but the tap root is ignorance."

The importance of education cannot be undermined in a nation like ours, which has not yet achieved 100 per cent literacy. While everyone has a contribution to make in


furthering the country’s educational progress, basic education is a fundamental right, and it is the responsibility of the society and the government to provide it for each and every child.

In the long run, education is the key to solving the problem of hunger. It empowers an individual to work in the society to fulfill his needs and aspirations. Hence only a few educated people go hungry. Yet, hunger is a stumbling block for education for poor children and locks them into a vicious cycle: hunger and poverty obstruct education as they are forced to drop out of school and take up menial jobs. Lack of education curtails opportunities for development. Since they are not able to develop themselves, they remain hungry and poor.

But hunger obstructs education in yet another way by affecting clear thinking and productive working in children. Dr J. Larry Brown, Tufts University, has most succinctly described this:

“By subjecting children to hunger, we rob them of their God-given potential. We then deliver them to the schools with one arm tied behind their backs and expect teachers to perform an often-impossible task. This, in turn, results in the waste of billions of dollars we invest in the education of our children because hunger prevents them from getting full value of their educational experience.”

Education is the single most powerful factor to take an entire family out of the cycle of poverty. Documented studies show that, within one generation, Education can significantly improve the quality of life.

Nutrition and Cognitive Development Medical science has proven that most of the cognitive developments occur between the age group of 6 and 12 years. Hunger and malnutrition during these years impairs cognitive development, thus permanently crippling an individual for life. Over six million children in India develop mild mental retardation due to malnutrition, which can be prevented.

Iron deficiency in infancy may cause a permanent loss of IQ later in life. Iron deficiency and anemia lead to shortened attention span, irritability, fatigue, and difficulty in concentration. Consequently, anemic children tend to do poorly in vocabulary, reading, and other tests (Parker, 1989).

Several studies have found effects of hunger and poor nutrition on cognitive ability. One such study found that among fourth grade students, those who had the least protein intake in their diets had the lowest achievement scores (ASFSA, 1989).


A laboratory study that involved healthy, well-nourished school-aged children found a negative effect of morning fasting on cognitive performance. A test of the speed and accuracy of response on problem-solving tasks given to children who did or did not eat breakfast found that skipping breakfast had an adverse influence on their performance on the tests (Pollitt et al., 1991).

Children who are hungry or undernourished also have more difficulty fighting infection. Therefore, they are more likely to become sick, miss school, and fall behind in class.

A case for Noon Meals The Global School Feeding Report of the United Nation’s World Food Program endorses that: “School feeding programs often double enrollment within a year and can produce a 40 percent improvement in academic performance in just two years. Children who take part in such programs stay in school longer.”

A Supreme Court judgment of 2001 has decreed that ``...mid-day meals scheme should be implemented in all states in India by providing every child in every government and government assisted primary schools with a prepared mid-day meal with a minimum content of 300 calories and 8-12 grams of protein each day of school for a minimum of 200 days.’’

Till date, a wholesome meal continues to be the most powerful incentive for children to come to schools (increasing enrolment), retaining them in schools (reducing drop-outs) and helping them to perform better in schools (effective learning experience).

Documented evidence in different states of the country show that cooked mid-day meal programs have been most effective in promoting and fostering primary and secondary education in rural India. In the state of Tamil Nadu, where cooked mid-day meals are being provided, the school drop-outs decreased by 30%. In the state of Orissa, the attendance rate and enrolment rate of students has shown significant increase in the post-mid-day meal period as compared to the pre-mid-day meal period.


2. Akshaya Patra: Strategic Social Undertaking

2.1 Brief Overview The Akshaya Patra Foundation came into being in the year 2000 to address two of the most immediate challenges of India - hunger and education by providing unlimited, wholesome food to attract children to schools, retain them and then focus on children’s holistic development.

The vision : No child in India should be hungry and hunger should not be an obstacle to education.

The Sanskrit word Akshaya Patra (meaning abundant, inexhaustible) has its origins in the great epic, Mahabharata and aptly reflects the aspirations of the Founders to provide unlimited food to underprivileged children and mitigate their sufferings.

A secular, charitable organization, Akshaya Patra offers unlimited, nutrition-rich food everyday to deserving school children in 1,000 government schools in eight locations in India. Since its inception, the program has scaled up to provide about 305,340 hygienic and nutritious meals every day through an extremely cost-effective process.

The program started in a humble way in the year 2000 serving 1500 children in five schools in Bangalore. Presently it is feeding 305,340 children in 1,000 government schools in eight locations in India viz.

• Bangalore, Mysore, Hassan, Mangalore, Hubli-Dharwad in Karnataka • Vrindavan in Mathura District, Uttar Pradesh • Jaipur and Baran in Rajasthan

The graph below highlights the amazing growth of the Akshaya Patra mid-day meal program in different locations.


To many of our children, the Akshaya Patra meal is the only complete meal that they have access to during the entire day. This has produced dramatic results in terms of enrolment, attendance and attention spans in the classroom and also boosted children’s overall health and wellbeing.

This program is unique in magnitude, complexity, method of delivery and approach. It is a pioneering program in India's social and developmental sector, which uses technology extensively for minimizing cost, time and labor. It has leveraged technology in cooking and delivery, built global standards of supply chain efficiency and built forward and backward linkages by ensuring that procurement is done directly from the farmers for the inputs and delivered to the beneficiaries in the most cost-efficient manner.

Embracing a catholic approach towards education, the Akshaya Patra project has introduced a series of measures to improve the quality of education in these schools through Vidya Akshaya Patra. The program is also participating actively in community services in certain areas of Rajasthan.

The Foundation aims to scale up the program to serve one million children by 2010. We believe success on that scale will offer a model for replication by other developmental organizations and state governments across India. Eventually, the dream is to ensure that no child in India is left out and every child has equitable access to food, education and health.


Akshaya Patra: Incredible Growth

Bangalore First… The program, which started on a small scale in July 2000 in Bangalore, feeding 1,500 children in five schools, has progressively scaled up to serve around 120,000 children in 423 schools in and around the city, covering government, corporation and government-aided schools.

Encouraged by the overwhelming response received from the school authorities, the students and the Education Department of the Government of Karnataka, the program got expanded year after year. The aim now is to cover 250,000 hungry children in the district and make Bangalore and its rural districts, hunger-free.

For which an additional kitchen infrastructure is being set up in Vasanthapura on Kanakapura Road, South of Bangalore, which is expected to reach 100,000 children in 650 schools in the vicinity.

Encouraged by the overwhelming response received from the school authorities, the students and the Education Department of the Government of Karnataka, the program got expanded year after year. Emboldened by its success in Bangalore, the project spread its reach to other cities, first within Karnataka and then across the Vindhyas to the north of India.

Here is a quick glimpse of how the mid-day meals scheme grew in Bangalore, the very first city where it was launched.


Other cities of Karnataka In partnership with Mrs. Sudha Murthy, Chairperson of Infosys Foundation, the mid-day meals program was initiated in Hubli-Dharwad in July 2004. Presently, we are feeding 78,078 students in 250 schools of Hubli, Dharwad, Bellary and Haveri Districts. To cater to the increasing demands from neighbouring districts, the kitchen infrastructure is being expanded and will become operational in June 2006.

Besides, the project has now expanded to include Hassan, Mysore and Mangalore in Karnataka. As of December 2005, we are feeding 2,144 students in Hassan, 3,100 students in Mysore and 5,550 students in Mangalore.

Vrindavan, Mathura District, UP The next port of call for the Akshaya Patra Foundation was Vrindavan, in Mathura district, UP. In this holy city of Vrindavan, the birthplace of Lord Krishna, the dream to serve wholesome meals to underprivileged children, was fulfilled thanks to the solid support rendered by Delhi-based Mittals of the Bharti Foundation. B Sunil Mittal, Chairman & CEO, and Rakesh Mittal, Vice Chairman & Managing Director of Bharti Televentures, have unequivocally backed the program. An exclusive kitchen facility has been created and is housed in an architectural geodesic marvel.

The project commenced its feeding activity in August 2003. The menu here is predominantly wheat based in tune with the local food preferences. The daily menu is typically rotis, Lentils or Curry and Vegetable Rice/Sweet Porridge. A roti machine that can churn out 10,000 rotis per hour has been installed in the kitchen along with an atta kneading machine, to ensure hygiene and cost efficiency.

In Vrindavan, the Foundation is currently serving 37,000 children in 292 government schools and 28 anganwadis.

Jaipur, Rajasthan In a state which has a literacy of only 61%, the free mid-day meals program is indeed a powerful incentive to attract children to schools, thus encouraging primary education. Thanks largely to the proactive roles played by one of the trustees of Akshaya Patra, Abhay Jain and the Chief Minister of Rajasthan, Smt. Vasundhara Raje Scindia, the Akshaya Patra free mid day meals project commenced with a pilot run in November 2004 in 25 schools feeding 5200 children.

No sooner than the concept was showcased to the Chief Minister and other senior officials of the Government of Rajasthan, the initial kitchen facility was up and


running on a trial basis in less than two months time. The pilot run was meant to understand the local situation before scaling up the program. As of December 2005, the program serves 51,168 school children in 271 schools including anganwadis in Jaipur everyday.

The Hi-tech Centralized Model What distinguishes Akshaya Patra from other mid-day meal programs preceding it, is the flexibility and creativity with which the program has been conceived and executed. Where the environment is conducive, the program has incorporated a centralized approach, backed by technology-driven processes. In other situations, it has adopted a de-centralized mode of operations, to cater to the needs of the local community. Whatever be the approach, the Foundation ensures that it can serve the needs of the target audience in the most dignified, cost-efficient manner.

The Centralized model is technology-intensive. The automated kitchen facility is a classic example of how mechanization has improved efficiency and ensured quality.

Appropriate technological considerations have governed all phases of the design and process: the choice of the cooking medium (steam), generation of steam, construction of large cauldrons, mechanized high speed cutting of vegetables, handling of cooked food, etc., to minimize human intervention and maintain high standards of cleanliness and hygiene along with custom designed vehicles, logistics to move and safely deliver cooked food on time.

The Infrastructure: In all the cities where the centralized model is being used, the Foundation has created the following infrastructure with funds raised from corporate and individual donations:

• Automated kitchen facilities with Stainless steel cauldrons, steam boilers, exhaust system, conveyor system, high-speed cutting machines, etc.

• Covered stainless steel containers that retain heat for carrying food to the schools.

• Custom-built vehicles to transport food to the schools.

In each region the capacity of the kitchen varies depending on the number of children to be fed.


Operations, Logistics & Safety Measures The food is cooked in centralized kitchen facilities that have been designed and engineered from scratch by the Akshaya Patra management to optimize quality and minimize cost. The facility consists of a series of mechanized steam-heated cauldrons, custom-built to cook nutrient, staple and native food most appreciated by children on a long-term basis. Mechanization has minimized human handling of food to ensure high standards of hygiene and cleanliness. Steam heating has accelerated the cooking process, enabling the Foundation to prepare meals in large scale in less than five hours.

The food is packed into stainless steel containers and loaded into custom-built vehicles. Using a fleet of vehicles, food is transported to the schools within a 50 km radius. Security personnel escort each vehicle to ensure safe delivery of meals to the schools. The vehicles drop off the meals in the schools (about 20 to 25 schools per vehicle) and on their return trip pick up empty containers. The mapping of the schools to the vehicles has also been done efficiently.

Localized Model Reciprocating to the needs of the community it is serving, the Akshaya Patra Foundation, in some areas such as Baran in Rajasthan, has adopted an alternate approach. Where the situation demands, the Foundation has reached out to the entire community, believing that empowerment is the key to growth.

Akshaya Patra’s mid-day meals program in Baran is, therefore, built on community service, with active participation from the stakeholders, particularly tribal women. Prior to Akshaya Patra’s involvement in the community, there was abject poverty among the Saharia tribes, the predominant inhabitants in this region.

The Saharia tribe is one of the most primitive tribes of Rajasthan, found mainly in Shahbad & Kishanganj blocks of Baran district of Rajasthan state. Due to lack of a regular source of livelihood, malnutrition was rampant, especially in women and children. There was high incidence of tuberculosis and repetitive malaria. Caught in this vicious cycle of poverty and exploitation, the tribals were slowly dying.

The Akshaya Patra mid-day meal program started in Baran district in April 2005 in five villages in the tehsils of Kishan Ganj and Shahbad where the most vulnerable Saharia tribes were concentrated.

To start with, it was planned to adopt a decentralized kitchen approach rather than a centralized system like in urban areas. The pilot run was to feed 600 impoverished, tribal children in these five villages. A self-help group of women was formed in each


village and these women were given basic training in various aspects of cooking, hygiene, nutrition, etc.

The process of empowerment began by training these women not only in different elements of cooking but also in maintaining accounts, inventory, requisition slips, etc. They were encouraged to set up the kitchen near a school and the basic infrastructure to start the kitchen such as constructing the stove, store room, washing area, etc were built under the guidance of the Akshaya Patra team. Depending on the strength of the school and consequently, how much food was being prepared, they would get paid anywhere between Rs.1,500 to Rs.4,000 per month.

The cooked food was served to the children studying in government schools, in anganwadis (daycare centres). Pregnant women and nursing mothers were also encouraged to come to the kitchen in the afternoons and have the nutritious meals.

By training these self-help groups and showing them the path to a decent livelihood, the Akshaya Patra Foundation has boosted their self-esteem and given them a sense of purpose and pride.

As part of sustainable community development, Akshaya Patra Foundation has also planted 100 saplings.

In addition, plans are afoot to engage the women for the rest of the day, so that they could enhance their earnings. These include making papads, rolling incense sticks (agarbathies) and training in tailoring. Talented children in these schools would be awarded scholarships. Besides, health intervention programs would be conducted such as providing medical assistance wherever needed and nutrition supplements for children, pregnant and nursing women.

The Foundation also plans to scale up to serve nutrition-rich meals to 10,000 children covering 70 villages in Baran district.

Cost-effective Program The Akshaya Patra Mid-day Meal Program is professionally managed in the most cost-effective manner by spending only Rs.6/- per child per day (Rs.1,200 per child per year) to provide a hygienic, nutritious and sumptuous cooked meal.

Transparent, Secular and Professionally Governed The Foundation has involved KPMG to audit the program for funds utilization, thereby ensuring transparency and high degree of accountability. The program is


secular, inclusive and non-discriminating as it is provided only in Government schools that already have a secular policy for admission. The Foundation is professionally managed by a committed team, consisting of the Board of Directors, Advisors, subject matter experts and volunteers.

3 Vidya Akshaya Patra: To Improve the Quality of Education

In recognition of the value of good education for the sustainable development of the country, which actually implies a balance between meeting immediate needs such as career opportunities and looking to the future with a long-term vision, the Akshaya Patra Foundation conceived a program called the Vidya Akshaya Patra on the recommendation of the president of India, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam.

3.1 Activities

3.1.1 Scholarships to meritorious students Scholarships to meritorious students of Government and Corporation Schools: The Foundation provides scholarships to 2,000 deserving students who have cleared the Class 10 Board examinations. This scholarship is sponsored by the Pratiksha Foundation and Sarojini Damodaran Charitable Trust, both NGOs from Bangalore.

3.1.2 Training the Trainers Training the Trainers for improving the quality of teaching and the performance levels of students in these schools: The quality of education is directly proportionate to the knowledge and skill sets of the teachers. Under this program, comprehensive training is provided in core subjects such as Science, Mathematics, and English, the three subjects which impact the students’ overall performance and determine their future career.

Such programs are conducted in collaboration with reputed institutions such as the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore and Regional Institute of English Language Teaching and Pratiksha, the NGO.

3.1.3 After-school Coaching After-school coaching an innovative program to enhance the grades of high school children has been introduced by which special classes are arranged for the children from slums and disadvantaged sections of the society and they are given additional coaching. This enables them to improve the pass percentage in the Board Examinations.


Vidya Akshaya Patra has recently partnered with another institution called Sri Kottala Basaveshwara Bharatiya Shiksana Samiti in a highly backward district of Gulbarga, north of Karnataka, mainly to provide hand-holding for conducting education oriented programs. The Foundation co-ordinates the training of teachers for computer courses, advises on job-specific courses, etc., with the main purpose of developing the area.

4. Medical Intervention: Prevention is Better than Cure

Good health is an integral part of the all-round development of children.

During a survey, doctors found that typically, more than 85 per cent of these children from slums suffered from worm infestations because of unhygienic living conditions. Added to it, they were deficient in vitamins, particularly vitamin-A. To counteract these problems, Akshaya Patra offers medical assistance in the form of de-worming and vitamin supplements to the children in these schools, in partnership with other charitable organizations.

In collaboration with the Bangalore based Divakars Service Trust, the medical intervention program was started in mid-2002 with the administration of de-worming & vitamin-A tablets. This was extended this year to all the target group children with requisite dosage of folic acid in addition to de-worming and vitamin-A administration.

Continuing its efforts, the Foundation has decided to provide multi-vitamin Becozinc tablets to about 150,000 children covered under the Akshaya Patra program in Bangalore and Hubli-Dharwad districts. According to the doctors, 10 tablets will have to be administered on alternate days, spread over 20 days. These multi-vitamin tablets will act as nutritional supplements to bring the children to optimal nutritional status.

In the north, Akshaya Patra has partnered with the Durlabji Hospital, Jaipur and Government Hospital, Mathura for medical assistance.


5. Documented Impact of the Akshaya Patra Program Several studies conducted by independent, third-party organizations reiterate the effectiveness of wholesome mid-day meals in enhancing school participation, particularly of girl children, increasing attendance, eliminating classroom hunger, fostering social equity and improving children’s general health. Few excerpts:

The Department of Education, Government of Karnataka conducted an independent study on the impact of the program in the schools benefiting from the Akshaya Patra Mid-day meal program. The study reported:

“…this program is highly successful and very useful to the rural children. It is being very much appreciated. The scheme is providing very nutritious meals. This has improved the retention and participation of the students effectively in the classroom.”

• 91.8% of the teachers felt that the attention of the students in the class has improved

• 99.61% of the students felt that they could pay better attention

• 93.8% of the teachers felt that there was an overall academic improvement in the students

• In academic year 2001-2002, 16 schools had reported an increase in enrollment by 15%

Another study conducted by M S Ramaiah Medical College Hospital in one of the rural schools receiving the benefits of Akshaya Patra program reports:

• Skin infections in the children decreased from 80% to almost Nil

• Anemia reduced from 40% to less than 5% of the children.

• Children below optimal nutrition level reduced from 60% to almost Nil.

• Children developed better resistance to diseases.

• Children showed significant improvement in height and weight.

Schools have routinely reported 15 to 30% increase in attendance of the students after introducing the Akshaya Patra program. A sample of 24 schools reported an increase in enrolment by nearly 20% after the introduction of the program.


5.1 Benefits to Children Several students have offered testimonies of the benefit they have derived from this program:

“I used to think of leaving school and may be wash vessels in someone’s house where I could also get food. I was so hungry. Now I am very happy. I can touch my skin and feel how well nourished I am.”

Lakshmi Devi, Standard V, Government Primary School

“I would be so hungry all day and not be interested in reading or writing. I would walk home and just go to sleep. Now I come running to the school. I am also studying well.”

Kshama Nurinnisa, Standard VII, Government Higher Primary School

“Due to hunger I used to often faint. Now I feel like I have received a new life.”

Harshia Banu, Standard VII, Government Urdu Higher Primary School

“My parents go to the farm early in the morning. Till they come back from work, I never used to eat anything. Now I am getting food daily; I wish I get food when I go to 6th standard also.’’

Rakesh, class V, Govt Lower Primary School, Burjah, Near Vrindavan

“I don’t have a father. My mother used to work in the fields and from whatever money she used to get, we would buy rations. Now I am very happy as I am getting food; I can study better now as I don’t have to help my mother.’’

Vedram, Class IV, Govt Primary School, Devitas, Jaint, Mathura District

“I used to work with my father as a rickshaw puller to earn some money and buy food. Now I go to school and eat hot food. Next year both my younger sisters will also join this school and get food. I now go to work only on holidays.’’

Sukhiram, Govt Primary School, Ramthal, Mathura District


6. Distinguished Speak

Impressed by the scale and effectiveness of the free mid-day meals scheme, many celebrities from the political, business, cinema and sports arenas, have heartily endorsed the program. Here are some samples:

``This is a very important and great mission.’’

His Excellency Dr A P J Abdul Kalam, President of India

“The scale of the program - providing a nutritious meal consisting of rice, yogurt and sambar with vegetables to the students’ everyday - is truly impressive. I am confident that the Akshaya Patra program will serve both as an inspiration and a practical logistical guide to other institutions interested in taking up such activities.”

A.B.Vajpayee, Former Prime Minister of India “Akshaya Patra is a program which is meaningful and helps poor children. Governments have failed but the zeal and commitment of this program to educate the children is unique in more ways than one.” S M Krishna, Former Chief Minister of Karnataka Special Recognition The Akshaya Patra Foundation has also been conferred the Rajyotsava Award in the year 2003 by the Government of Karnataka for excellence in social work.

8. Tax Exemption for Donations

The Ministry of Finance, Government of India, in a Gazette extraordinary has bestowed 100% relief for all donations made to Akshaya Patra under section 35AC of the Income Tax Act, 1961. This is a testimony to the truly egalitarian goals that Akshaya Patra is serving.


The Akshaya Patra Foundation has also received the status of tax-exempt entity under the IRS, in the United States of America. Donations made to the Akshaya Patra Foundation by US Donors will be eligible for tax breaks under section 501(a) of the Internal Revenue Code as an organization described in section 501(c) (3).

Also, the Government of Rajasthan recognizing, the altruistic activities of the Foundation has exempted it from paying sales tax on all purchases made by the Foundation.

9. Additional Funding Needs

The Akshaya Patra program is a huge project, striving to foster education and wipe out hunger in India. The Foundation has made rapid strides, reaching out to 305,340 children in five years time. In order to provide nutrition-rich food, the Foundation is incurring a recurring expenditure of Rs.18.32 lakhs per day to feed 305,340 children, in different locations across India.

Presently, we are raising funds through corporate partnerships and individual donor contributions. More than 16,000 donors have been enlisted so far. Nevertheless, a project of this magnitude is constantly in need of funds. The ultimate goal is to ensure that no child in India is hungry and every child gets access to good health, wholesome food, and schooling. Empowering children with nutrition and education is crucial to the development of the society and as concerned citizens, all of us need to pitch in to make it happen.

10. Why Should You Give?

``We make a living by what we get; we make a life by what we give” Sir Winston Churchill ``Money given in charity to a suitable person is guaranteed bank balance in the next life. There is guarantee of money being returned if given in charity, regardless of the proportion.’’

Srila Prabhupada


``It is literally true that you can succeed best and quickest by helping others to succeed.’’

Napoleon Hill

``We can’t help everyone, but everyone can help someone.’’ Dr. Loretta Scott

Besides the tangible benefits of tax exemption and savings, the intangible benefits of giving for a noble cause are numerous. The joy of giving and sharing cannot be articulated that easily; it has to be personally experienced. Giving for a good cause can make our society a better place to live in as it helps to provide opportunities to those who do not have access to them. This in turn raises the standard of living for the society and for us as well.

Yet again, helping others in need can have a viral effect, motivating many individuals and organizations to come forward and join hands. A mammoth endeavor such as Akshaya Patra needs support from various sources. It is our social responsibility and moral duty to give back whatever we can to the society, thus helping India march forward and make real progress. If we do not fulfill this responsibility, our dream of a progressive, developed country will remain just that: A DREAM.

The Board of Directors

Madhu Pandit Das Chairman, The Akshaya Patra Foundation Chanchalapathi Das Vice Chairman, The Akshaya Patra Foundation Chitranga Chaitanya Das Program Director, The Akshaya Patra Foundation Mohandas Pai CFO and Board Member Infosys Technologies Ltd. Managing Trustee, The Akshaya Patra Foundation


Abhay Jain Entrepreneur, Bangalore Trustee, The Akshaya Patra Foundation Ramdas Kamath Vice President (Finance & Administration) Infosys Technologies Ltd. Trustee, The Akshaya Patra Foundation Raj Kondur CEO, Nirvana Business Solutions Trustee, The Akshaya Patra Foundation Contact Details

India Office

The Akshaya Patra Foundation H K Hill Chord Road Bangalore 560 010 Karnataka , India Ph: 91-80-2357 8622 Email : [email protected] Website : www.akshayapatra.org US Office The Akshaya Patra Foundation 525 Northern Blvd, Suite 205 Great Neck New York 11021, USA Ph: 516-829-6245

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.akshayapatra.org/

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