NGO Report: The Akshaya Patra Foundation Annual Report 2018-19

CHAIRMAN’S MESSAGE
I am enveloped with an overwhelming sense of gratitude, reflecting on the path that Akshaya Patra has traversed over
the years. With humility, I cherish where we are, what we have achieved, and the tremendous opportunities that lie
ahead.
We will continue to work tirelessly in our mission to serve five million children by 2025. Throughout our journey of
nearly two decades, we have been seeking new avenues to contribute to social welfare. Alongside providing hot and
nutritious school lunch to 1.8 million children, we pursue diverse feeding initiatives to serve other sections of society
– across age groups, regions, and communities.
“
The hope for a better future for all
our beneficiaries, especially children,
gives us the energy to serve more
and serve better.
One such initiative is the feeding of nourishing meals to pregnant women and nursing mothers in many Anganwadi
Centres in India. Our endeavour is to address the need for proper nourishment during infancy, which is of utmost
importance for both, the mother and the child. We have also started a breakfast initiative in Tamil Nadu, serving
7,800 children in Hosur and 5,000 children in Chennai.
Akshaya Patra is dedicated to serving the nation in times of adversity. During natural calamities such as the floods
in Uttar Pradesh and Kerala, we extended our support to those affected by providing over 100,000 meals. Our relief
feeding efforts have also gone beyond borders during the Nepal earthquake.
We have made progress in our National Endeavour for School Transformation initiatives. We aspire to make a
difference in the lives of thousands of children across the country through these initiatives. AIKYA – the youth
volunteering arm of Akshaya Patra – has garnered the support of 10,000 volunteers for these programmes.
‘Care’ is an account of Akshaya Patra’s progress in the year 2018-19. It will also give you an understanding of our
comprehensive approach to social welfare through different initiatives.
We have been blessed with an encouraging start this year. We were presented with the Gandhi Peace Prize by the
Hon’ble President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind. In February, we commemorated the serving of 3 billion cumulative
meals in the presence of the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi.
Our organisation has been able to achieve these milestones owing to the incessant support from our stakeholders.
I sincerely thank our beneficiaries for allowing us to serve them, and all the teachers and school staff who have
supported us enthusiastically. I also extend my heartfelt gratitude to our stakeholders – Ministry of Human Resource
Development, Government of India, State Governments, U.T. Administrations, partners, donors, corporates, and our
dynamic community of well-wishers.
With a renewed spirit, we will pursue our commitment to provide food and nutrition for all. The hope for a better
future for all our beneficiaries, especially children, gives us the energy to serve more and serve better.
I truly believe that there is tremendous potential in all of us working together, to bring our nation a better tomorrow.
Sincerely,
Madhu Pandit Dasa
Chairman
The Akshaya Patra Foundation