Provide school lunches to underprivileged children

Nearly 13.5 million children in India are out of school and most of them are dropouts. Their circumstances force them into menial labour in order to earn just one meal a day. Research shows that the universalisation of education has taken a backseat due to prevalent hunger and malnutrition which reduces enrolment and increases dropout rates.

We run a school meal programme that provides children studying in government schools with freshly cooked, healthy lunch. The programme is spread across nine states and caters for 1.3 million children. This meal is often the only source of nutrition they have. Our kitchens therefore strive to meet the requirements of a growing child. We also create employment for women that work in our decentralized kitchen. The centralized kitchens are highly mechanized and ensure quality and hygiene. We also ensure that hot nutritious meals reach the children on time everyday.

Akshay Patra has reached out to over 3,30,150 children to date. An increased attendance of up to 41% has been noted in some schools. The women who run our kitchens have benefitted significantly since gaining employment.