Newsletter Vol.1 Issue 2 Akshaya Patra

Feature The hearth of Akshaya Patra - its kitchens 5

Innovations Extra nutritious sambhar 11

Nearing the one million mark Akshaya Patra sets foot in 7

New Kitchens Nayagarh District, Orissa 11 Mathura District, 12

Interview Alexius Collette, CEO, Philips 16  Dear Friend of Akshaya Patra,

A scurry of activity is ubiquitous in all the 14 Akshaya Patra centers. In the last few months we have surged ahead towards our set target of feeding a million children by 2010. We now secure wholesome, nutritious and hygienically cooked school meals for over 8,00,000 children in more than 4,500 schools every day. This reminds me of something Gandhiji said, “I have faith, therefore, that if, in spite of our shortcomings, the big thing does happen, it will be because God wanted to help us.” Of course, the target of one million is only to help us push forward our goal of reaching out to more and more hungry children and not to take pride in it. One million is just the tip of the iceberg of the issue of hunger in children.

It’s heartening and humbling to share with you a few milestones that we have achieved over the last few months.

We set foot in the state of Gujarat and are currently feeding 65,000 children in Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar.

We started decentralized Akshaya Patra programs this academic year in two new locations. One, in Bhapur, Nayagarh district in Orissa and the other in Mathura district in Uttar Pradesh.

There are millions of children in India who lack formal education or literacy. Education makes a difference and is precious to every life. It helps negotiate for a better living.

Akshaya Patra is more than just a school meal program. Akshaya Patra, apart from feeding, not only ensures that children come to school but also facilitates teachers to concentrate on their core function of teaching. It’s a hunger-eradication program. It’s an education program. It’s a social project. It’s a nation building effort. It marries the public and private entities to the common goal of seeing India as a developed nation in the world, with no hungry children on its map. On behalf of the Akshaya Patra Foundation, I would like to sincerely thank you and solicit your continued support.

You make the difference!

Yours, In the service of children,

Madhu Pandit Dasa

 About Akshaya Patra

Vision : “No child in india shall be deprived of education because of hunger”

id you know that about 13.5 million Secular & Non-discriminatory Dchildren in the age group of 6-13 years are out of school in India? Despite the trillion- Akshaya Patra is a secular, not-for-profit dollar economic growth, a large chunk of program implemented only in government India’s younger generation, does not have schools where there is no discrimination on access to schools because of hunger and the basis of religion, gender, color, or socio- poverty. Their inability to access even one economic background. nutritious meal per day is severely limiting their ability to receive a proper education, Akshaya Patra’s Impact which could otherwise lift them out of the cycle of poverty. A study in the year 2006 by AC Nielsen has In a humble step to end hunger of deserving vouchsafed for the efficacy of the meal in children and facilitate their education, The increasing attendance in schools, improving Akshaya Patra Foundation (TAPF) evolved nutritional status of these children, enhancing a school meal program for underprivileged their learning abilities and reducing drop out children in the year 2000. What started as rates. a pilot project in five schools in , feeding 1,500 children, is today the largest Public Private Partnership NGO-run school meal program in the world. It has grown into a mammoth endeavor The program is an eloquent testimony to reaching out to 8,00,000 children in over 4,500 Public Private Partnership - it is run with part government, government aided schools and subsidies from the Central and respective anganwadis (day care centers) in 14 locations State governments of India, besides financial across six states in India, day after day. support from corporates and individuals. The program is audited by KPMG to ensure Kitchen Infrastructure transparency and accountability to all its Akshaya Patra has set up an infrastructure donors. of intelligently engineered, centralized automated kitchens for cooking. Matching Tax Exemption logistics support the distribution of the food All contributions to The Akshaya Patra in custom-built vehicles. Due to extensive mechanization of the kitchen, the program Foundation are eligible for 100% tax is able to offer children standardized, high exemption. quality hygienic meals. Besides nutritious meals, the program offers education and medical interventions to ensure the holistic Deduction under section 35AC/80GGA (bb) of the development of children. Income Tax Act 1961 in India.

 Akshaya Patra State - wise

Brief snapshot of Akshaya Patra

Vision:- “No child in India shall be deprived of education because of hunger” Status:- Secular, charitable, not-for-profit Trust Target group:- Underprivileged children , between age 6-16 Infrastructure:- Nine centralized kitchens, 200 custom-built vehicles Akshaya Patra - a national program:- Service locations: Six states, 14 locations Unique Strength:- Innovatively-engineered, centralized, automated, large-scale kitchen infrastructure with matching logistics Sustainability:- Subsidies by the Central and State governments, donations from corporates, individuals and philanthropists Locations: : Bangalore, Mangalore, Mysore, Hubli & Dharwad district, Bellary. Uttar Pradesh: Mathura district : Nathadwar, Baran, Jaipur Gujarat: Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar Orissa: Puri, Nayagarh district : Ananthapur

 Feature

The hearth of Akshaya Patra… its kitchens

ne of the cornerstones of Akshaya Patra’s Akshaya Patra kitchen is engineered to cook Osuccess is attributed to its scalable and one lakh meals per day. replicable kitchens. There are two kitchen • The kitchens are engineered based on models, centralized and decentralized. Here is the local menu, as one of Akshaya Patra’s a brief overview of these models. tenets is to provide meals of local preference. Therefore, in the North Indian regions we serve a wheat-based menu and in the South, The Akshaya Patra a rice-based menu is served. centralized kitchen model • The medium of cooking is steam. Akshaya Patra has been lauded as a successful • There are huge stainless steel cauldrons model of centralized kitchens suitable for that cook rice and sambhar in the South urban & semi-urban locations. It has set-up Indian kitchens. Each sambhar cauldron has eleven centralized kitchens - two in Bangalore a capacity of 1,200 liters of sambhar for 6,000 and one each in Hubli, Bellary, Mangalore and children in less than two hours. Mysore in Karnataka, Nathadwara and two in • The rice cauldron can cook 120 kgs of raw Jaipur, Rajasthan, Puri in Orissa and Vrindavan rice for 10,000 children in 20 minutes. Usually, in Uttar Pradesh. there are eight such rice cauldrons in a South Indian kitchen. • Akshaya Patra has set up innovatively • In the North Indian kitchens, a roti-making engineered centralized kitchens which are automated to the optimum level. This renders machine has been indigenously designed that least manual handling and ensures high can prepare 10,000-12,500 rotis per hour. standards of hygiene and cleanliness. The • The food is then packed in to stainless steel model leverages technology and innovations containers with a tight fitting lid that prevent to maximize operational and cost efficiency in pilferage and retain the heat of the food. its kitchens. • These food containers are then transferred • In this model, large quantities of food are to custom-built vehicles on a conveyor belt. cooked in one central kitchen. A standard • Each vehicle carries food for about 5000

 Benefits of centralized kitchen model Decentralized kitchen model

• Cooked in one place, quality is easy to control. With a hearth to cook, the decentralized • Maximizes operational and cost efficiency. kitchen model is more than just the heart of • School teachers are relieved of monitoring the Akshaya Patra program. The decentralized mid-day meals. They can concentrate on core model is a social-leveler in one sense and an activity of teaching. Schools are safe without kitchens and fires. economic activity on the other. It has brought • Managed end to end. No intermediaries. the communities together, generated • Standardization of menu and meals. livelihood for women and brought the children of various castes and creed together. This alternative model is designed to suit remote rural locations with greater challenges of road connectivity and lack of other infrastructure that make a centralized kitchen possible. • In a decentralized kitchen women’s Self Help Groups (SHG) are formed and trained to cook for nearby schools. They cook the meal and hand deliver it to schools in their neighbourhood. • Before a kitchen is established, the frontline team goes to the village and gets the consent children, and travels about 50 kms from the of the village panchayat and identifies cooks. kitchen facility. • Thereafter, the women are trained for a • Bus routes are identified in which the period of one week in a nearby kitchen that is vehicles drop-off the food to each school. already functional. In Bangalore alone there are 37 routes that distribute food to 737 schools and institutions. There are about 200 such custom-built vehicles operating in the country. In Hubli, there are 32 routes that deliver food to about 786 schools. In Hubli most schools have a large strength and are located closeby. On the other hand, in Vrindavan, there are about 21 vehicle routes that reach out to 450 schools. In Jaipur there are 62 vehicle routes for 1052 schools. • Training consists of book keeping, menu preparation, hygiene, nutritional value. etc., • Clusters of women SHGs formed and for each cluster an executive supervisor is appointed with two assistants. A detailed monthly review is done of every kitchen. • In Baran, there are 14 clusters. The supervisors visit each of the kitchens in their cluster everyday. Women maintain daily entries that are checked by the supervisor on his daily visit. • Head Cooks: In every kitchen, women are appointed as head cooks on a rotation basis for a period of one month. The head cook is responsible for book keeping, serving, stores, procuring vegetables and groceries. • The Akshaya Patra decentralized model was first started in Baran district in Rajasthan. It has been replicated in Bhapur, Nayagarh district in Orissa and in Mathura district in Uttar Pradesh in this academic year.

 Nearing the One Million Mark. Akshaya Patra sets foot in Gujarat

on’ble Chief Minister of Gujarat, mechanized kitchen model of Akshaya Patra HMr. Narendra Modi, formally launched and said when NGOs come together with the the Akshaya Patra school meal program government to implement, they bring soul to in the State of Gujarat. The inauguration the program. Speaking on the occasion Mr. ceremony was attended by Sri Madhu Pandit Mohan Das Pai, Trustee, TAPF, said “We want to Dasa, Chairman TAPF, Minister for Education, ensure that every Indian has an opportunity Mrs. Anandiben Patel, Minister for Primary to have a decent meal, a decent education, a Education, Mr. Bhupendrabhai Lakhawala decent dwelling and a decent life to live his and board members of TAPF, Mr. Mohan dream. To achieve this, Akshaya Patra wants to Das Pai, Mr. Abhay Jain and Vice Chairman, feed children and ensure them an education. Sri Chanchalapathi Dasa. The inauguration India is growing and rapidly reaching a GDP was preceded by a tour of the Akshaya Patra of two digits. The real success of the growth kitchen by the CM and other dignitaries. They of India would be in all sections of its society served the Akshaya Patra meal to about 150 benefiting.” beneficiary children. The Government of Gujarat and The Akshaya The Ahmedabad kitchen features the first of Patra Foundation have signed a MoU to feed its kind roti-making machine in Gujarat which children in Ahmedabad West, Gandhinagar can role out 12,500 rotis in one hour. Akshaya city and Gandhinagar rural. The total enrolled Patra has invested about Rs. 75 lakhs in setting number of students in these schools is 65,000. up this temporary, centralized automated With the addition of Gujarat schools, Akshaya kitchen facility. Patra is now nearer to its goal of feeding one million school children every day by the end Speaking on the occasion, CM Narendra of 2010. Modi applauded the technology-intensive

“We want to ensure that every Indian has an opportunity to have a decent meal, a decent education, a decent dwelling and a decent life to live his dream. Mohandas Pai Trustee The Akshaya Patra Foundation

 Akshaya Patra Location Updates » Bangalore » Mangalore » Dharwad District » Nayagarh District » Jaipur » Mathura District

he location updates give a brief snapshot Artists serve Ugadi meal Tof innovations, events and developments that have happened over the last few months The children of Government High School, across all of Akshaya Patra locations. Vadarpalya were joyous when the Ugadi feast was served to them by 11 eminent artists Bangalore who came together to meet & serve the students. The Ugadi meal served included London school children bele holige, kosambari, rice, sambhar and curd. The children enjoyed the special meal and contribute for Akshaya Patra the interaction with the artists. For the artists, Roxette Manor Middle School, Harrow, it was a soul-stirring experience. London observed Mufti Day also known as Artists present were Dr. Suma Sudhindra, Casual Clothes Day or Non-Uniform Day on internationally known veena artist; M.S. 16th February 2007 to raise funds for Akshaya Sheela- well known vocalist; Veena Murthy Patra. Vijay, Kuchipudi dancer; Dr. Sanjay Shantaram Ms. Suzy Goldsmith and Mr. Ray Crocker, two & Shama Shantaram, Kiran & Sandhya teachers from Roxette Manor Middle School Subramanium – two well known dancer visited the Akshaya Patra Foundation in couples; Sharmila Mukherjee, disciple of Bangalore last year. They were impressed by Padmabhushan Kelucharan Mohapatra and the program effectiveness and promised to a senior Odissi dancer; Mysore Subramanya – do their bit for the Foundation. This year, the great grandson of Veena Seshanna, Anuradha teachers visited the Akshaya Patra Foundation Vikranth – well known dancer and director and presented the collections of Mufti Day of Drishti; Anoor Ananthakrishna Sharma of about £ 300 to the Vice Chairman, Sri popularly known as ‘Shivu’ a well-known Chanchalapathi Dasa. percussionist.

 Artists serves Ugadi meals Second Akshaya Patra kitchen in Bangalore

To reach out to the schools in North Bangalore, Akshaya Patra has set up a gravity force kitchen that maximizes operational and cost efficiency. This evolved centralized automated kitchen is located in Vasanthapura, near Kanakpura road

Schematic drawing showing the cooking process in the new gravity force kitchen An article that appeared in Times of India about this kitchen has been reproduced below. Times of India 23 September 2007 Raise a toast to hi-tech kitchen By Geeta Rao Silos for grain storage, third floor; a viewers’ gallery belt. The rice is cooked in stainless steel channels and on the second, cooking on the eight cauldrons, each of 120 pipes where sambar sloshes first, and packing and loading kg capacity. to the lower floor, rice on on to trucks on the ground At one go, the kitchen rustles trolleys tipped into some more floor. up 6,000 liters of sambar and waiting pipes, a massive cold Three silos - which can carry 960 kg of rice. When the job room for storage which is 10,000, 5,000 and 2,500 is done, a steering wheel helps like a huge fridge, a bucket kg, containing government overturn the rice from the elevator system on the ground rice, market rice and dal, vessels into trolleys. The rice floor, complete with 100 little is then poured down a pipe pails that scoop uncooked respectively - dominate the terrace. They are towers into the packing area into some rice and dal to the silos on the more dabbas and onto a second fourth floor. Kitchens couldn’t looking like huge bottles turned upside down. conveyor belt. These are then get more hi-tech than this. loaded on to trucks. “The meal But then, this is no ordinary On the third floor, 40 men and is ready by 9.30 am,” says kitchen. women - gloved and capped Venuvadhana, operations head This is the Akshaya Patra’s - peel and chop vegetables. of the kitchen. They work in shifts starting new “gravity force” kitchen in A control panel coordinates Vasanthapura, off Kanakapura at 2 am, four to six hours at a stretch. There is also a cutting all procedures. Manpower Road. This is what’s at the is limited to 170. The entire machine to assist them. heart of the massive mid-day operation is run on steam. Eco- meal scheme, which feeds On the cooking-operations fuel made of paddy husk, dry 80,000 government school floor are five gleaming leaves, groundnut shell is used children in south Bangalore. stainless steel cauldrons. Each for the process. of them can cook 1,200 liters It’s a top-down approach. Soon, a flyover will come up of sambar and a steel ladle can That’s how the gravitational within the campus and it will system works in this kitchen. stir it. The sambar flows via directly connect the kitchen to Storage is on the terrace; channels down to the packing transport groceries easily. chopping, preparing masalas, area, directly into open waiting stores and the cold room on the dabbas and onto a conveyor

 Mangalore Karunya Sagara Dasa, Project Manager, TAPF, Mangalore. All the suggestions given by the Teacher Training in Mangalore teachers were noted. A one day workshop for the heads of the Dharwad District institutions of the schools covered by Akshaya Patra in Mangalore was held on The Hubli- Dharwad kitchen reaches out to March 07. Sponsored by District Institute of four talukas out of the five in its Dharwad Education and Training (DIET) Government of district which include- Kalghatgi, Dharwad, Karnataka, about 26 institutions participated Hubli and Kundagol. in the workshop. In his inauguration message, Karunya Sagar Dasa, Project Manager, Akshaya Unique strength of Akshaya Patra, Mangalore, solicited teachers to work Patra Kitchens for the social, educational, emotional and intellectual development of the children. He On the request of the Government, Akshaya thanked the authorities of the department Patra stepped-in to provide relief to the flood for their cooperation. victims of Honnavara taluk in Uttara Kannada Dr. Diana Prabhu Deputy Director district by supplying unlimited free food. Development, who presided over the function, said that the heads of the institutions are lucky that Akshaya Patra has been supplying the children nutritious food and urged the teachers to keep the classes child-friendly using activity-oriented teaching methods. Dr. Mahidas, Reader College of Education Mangalore, Dr. M. Naik Department of Health Mangalore were resource persons. In the evening session the teachers interacted with Akshaya Patra beneficiaries win in a Marathon Akshaya Patra encouraged and facilitated the participation of 1, 460 beneficiaries of the Akshaya Patra program in the 12th Independence Day KPMG Road Race conducted by KPMG and Bangalore Sports Club (BSC). Held in the outer premises of the Kantheerava stadium, the marathon provided an equal platform for children from both the privileged schools and government schools. Mr. Abhay Jain, Trustee of the Akshaya Patra Foundation and President of the BSC presided. Mr. Mohandas Pai and Mr. Ramadas Kamath, Trustees of the Akshaya Patra Foundation and Office bearers of BSC participated in the run. This was an excellent opportunity to identify and nurture the talent of Akshaya Patra beneficiaries.

10 Over 54,000 flood victims in over 11 villages book keeping and safety aspects by a team of in the district severely affected by floods due TAPF members from Puri under guidance of to heavy rains were supplied food prepared Achyutha Krishna Dasa and his assistants. in Akshaya Patra’s Hubli kitchen. The kitchen Dal with vegetables, sabji and rice are served has a capacity to cook 2, 50,000 meals in six daily with a sweet dish called kheer, twice a hours. A three item menu-meal was served week. that included bisi bele bhath, raita, lemon rice, vangi bhath, sambhar etc., . Impressed by the quality of food and the success of the program, a number of requests This natural disaster brought forth a unique from other blocks of Nayagarh district are strength of the Akshaya Patra centralized coming-in to conduct the school meal kitchen infrastructure. While the school program in those respective villages. In meal program remained unaffected, flood fact, the Block Development Officer, under relief food was cooked for thousands. pressure from the villagers, has requested Thanks to innovation and intelligent kitchen the collector to extend the Akshaya Patra engineering! program to all the 114 villages. At present food is being provided in 10 villages. Akshaya Patra way, the eco-friendly way … The Akshaya Patra Hubli center has taken the initiative to adopt an eco-friendly approach through its rainwater harvesting initiative. To start with, it has adopted rainwater harvesting system to recharge the ground water and re-use excess water for cleaning purposes etc. This project is being undertaken in partnership with organizations like the Ashoka and Deshpande Foundations. Dal analogue - All for that extra nutritious sambhar! To further enhance the nutrition content of its school meal, Akshaya Patra in Hubli has incorporated a new ingredient in its sambhar. Dal Analogue is a ready to use product based on defatted soya flour, whole wheat flour and turmeric powder and resembles tur dal in appearance. It provides high protein, takes less time to cook than natural dal, and is palatable. Another added advantage is that Jaipur District, Rajasthan prior to cooking, the dal need not be cleaned In Jaipur Akshaya Patra reaches out to all the manually or soaked in water. Thus, saving talukas which include Sanganer, Bassi, Amer, time and energy. Chakshn, Jaipur Muncipal Corporation and Nayagarh District, Orissa Jaipur Tehsil. Governor of Gujarat visits Decentralized model Akshaya Patra, Jaipur launched Governor of Gujarat, Sri. Naval Kishore Sharma In Nayagarh district, Puri a pilot phase visited TAPF, Jaipur kitchen. He lauded the preceded the launch of the decentralized yeomen service being rendered by the kitchen model. Presently a group of 15- Foundation to the children of the State. He 20 Women’s Self Help Groups (SHG) are was very impressed when informed that employed in cooking and distribution of the TAPF has recently commenced operations in school meal. These women have been trained Gujarat. (Photograph overleaf) in the cooking, cleaning, store maintenance,

11 Abhay Jain, Trustee, and R.. Govinda Dasa Jaipur project more than 100 in the coming months to cover manager TAPF, take the Governor of Gujarat on a kitchen nearly 20,000 children. We have progressed tour. half way in meeting the target.

What is the response from the community?

Response from the community is very good. Where the village pradhans through whom the Mid Day Meal (MDM) program was being implemented earlier were providing substandard or no food at all, the children are getting food regularly and that too of good quality. Local employment generated is also Mathura District, substantial. Many villages have come forward Uttar Pradesh requesting us to start the program there. The decentralized model has been set up in Elucidate a few benefits accrued to the Mathura District Suvyakta Narasimha Dasa community including the teachers. Vrindavan Project Manager, had this to say… Local employment, good & regular food for the children, increased attendance & enrolment Why was the decentralized as far as teachers are concerned, reduced model initiated in Mathura? work load for teachers since they don’t have Why was the pilot done? to bother whether food will be available every Mathura district consists day or not etc are some of the benefits. of many villages which What is the scope for expanding the are deep in the interior & decentralized model? Give a few projections. have very poor or no road access at all. Sometimes, We plan to reach out to 20,000 children in the access is very narrow, often blocked by approx. 125 schools in the coming couple of bullock carts, tractors etc. It was physically not months. feasible for our custom built food distribution vehicles to reach such places from the centralized kitchens. Hence, we opted to go for the decentralized model in such locations.

The pilot run was carried out to get a first hand experience of the logistics & operations involved. The pilot run gave us the confidence to build it up to the present level.

What were the challenges in implementing the decentralized model in Mathura Dist?

Challenges ranged from recruitment of labor – (as there are no Self Help Groups here), to reaching the provisions to the kitchens in the schools, supervising the whole operations (since each school is located about two to four kms from each other), to some schools not having kitchens where we have made arrangements to cook the food in a house close to the school, etc., Write to us with your comments, Are you happy with the outcome? suggestions and feedback to Outcome is good and we are encouraged to [email protected] increase the number of villages covered to 12 CorporateSupport OtherUpdates

ABB Ltd, Bangalore has committed to Nicole Woo, Mickey Leland feeding 549 children for lifetime in the International Hunger Fellow to Government Higher Primary School, study Akshaya Patra Rajiv Gandhi Nagar, Laggere, Bangalore Akshaya Patra was the only Asian NGO North Zone. The school has 296 girls and chosen by Congressional Hunger Center 253 boys, of which most of them come (CHC) for its Mickey Leland International Hunger Fellows Program. CHC is a unique from the lower strata of society where not-for-profit anti-hunger leadership training parents are daily wage earners. organization located in Washington D.C. In its Fellowship programs, a select group of Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemi- fellows are trained to become effective anti- cals, sister concern of ONGC has ad- hunger leaders. As a bi-partisan organization, opted feeding of 2,472 children from CHC serves as a center where the anti-hunger August 15th 2007. community can discuss creative solutions to end domestic and international hunger. Oriental Bank of Commerce, New Delhi A Harvard University alumni, Nicole Woo, the has sponsored Akshaya Patra school Mickey Leland International Hunger Fellow has vast experience in the realm of hunger meals for 1,250 children for one year. and children’s school meal programs. As part of her fellowship she will be at Akshaya Patra Mine Owners pitch in for Akshaya India for the first year followed by the second Patra. Three mine owners from the year at Akshaya Patra USA. Nicole opines, Bellary region of Karnataka have “Akshaya Patra is a truly exciting organization extended their support to Akshaya with tremendous potential, and I believe I have Patra. Mr & Mrs S.K. Modi of Bellary Iron specialized knowledge that can help it grow. “ Ore Pvt. Ltd (BIOP) from Bellary, Mr. Satish owner of Y. Mahabaleshwarappa Amrita Rao, Bollywood and Sons mines in Ananthapur and actress visits TAPF, Mr. and Mrs. Ajay Saraf owners of Vrindavan R.B.Seth Shreeram Narsinghdas (RBSSN). They have all contributed towards “Akshaya Patra’s capital expenditure for setting up school meal of the state-of-art kitchen in Bellary program is the most District, Karnataka. Also, each of them divine execution. have adopted school feeding for 2000 children each for life. I am touched. God bless.” Prestige Estates adopted 600 students school feeding in the Government Urdu High School, DJ Halli, Bangalore. In a school feeding program Ravi Rao, President, Engineering Department served and shared the Akshaya Patra meal with the children.

13 Akshaya Life Skills- an Akshaya Patra initiative

o further enhance the education • Counseling clinic- where professional will Tincentives of its beneficiary children, meet students to discuss their problems and Akshaya Patra initiated a pilot run of the worries Akshaya Life Skills (ALS) for 2000 children of • Talent development activities 8th-10th Std in Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara • General awareness program on rights, Palike (BBMP) schools last academic year. This responsibility, health etc., initiative is aimed at providing a value-added learning program at the grass root level. The benefits of the program are both long term and immediate. For students, the direct Akshaya Patra has partnered with The Activity benefits lie in improving their psychosocial to develop content and conduct these Life competence. The family benefits from Skills training. The Activity is an organization the child's improved competence and that focuses on providing training to school understanding. children and its vision is ‘Enabling young people to grow into fine human being.’ The main objective behind this program The Akshaya Life Skills training consists of is to provide opportunity for personality about 20 session’s throughout the academic enhancement and growth for the less year on essential Life Skills recommended privileged children and also to provide need- by World Health Organization (WHO). The based learning programs to the students program is specifically developed to cater to for improving the quality and performance the needs of the underprivileged children. levels and help them in capacity building. The language of instruction is Kannada to make it more effective. “Akshaya Life Skills is a remarkable initiative because this is for the first time a program of international standard ALS Expansion has been introduced in government schools in a regional July 2007- March 2008 language on such a large scale. It is a big challenge for my team and me at The Activity to formulate a program With the success of the pilot initiative, Akshaya for Akshaya Patra beneficiary children who come from a Patra is extending the ALS training to 15,000 background where meeting basic needs seem a luxury. One of its beneficiaries in Karnataka out of which of the biggest hurdles for us in implementing the program 10,000 are in Bangalore and the other 5,000 has been the variety and intensity of issues that are faced are part of the Hubli ALS pilot initiative. This by the children ranging from violence to abuse to poverty to year the program would contain: lack of motivation to distractions etc.” • Teachers training workshop to enhance Syed Sultan Ahmed, Managing Director teachers personal and professional skills The Activity

14 Akshaya Life Skills Pilot Initiative- Preliminary survey Prior to starting the program of ALS in June 2006, the ALS team conducted a survey in eight corporation high schools in BBMP to understand the state of mind of the students and various skill sets. The outcome of the research showed that the students suffered from various issues like, low self-esteem, financial problems, high levels of stress and worry, various forms of abuse, drug abuse, violence, decision-making, don’t foresee any use of education and other family problems. Over 500 sessions were conducted in 10 BBMP schools from August 2006 to March 2007.

Did you know? ALS Impact Survey After the completion of ALS program a Innovations survey was conducted to assess the impact A machine that is used in the chocolate and effectiveness of the program in meeting factories in UK for pumping liquid chocolate the requirements of the students. The results has found application in the Akshaya Patra showed a remarkable improvement in the Hubli kitchen. The “Balgdon Pump” has been students. imported from UK and it does the very unique function of pumping a very viscous Sponsor Akshaya Life Skills for children. fluid (ganji - the excess water from cooking For further details write to: rice which has a high content of nutrition and [email protected] starch) at a high temperature to a distance of more than 100 feet. This is a very unique application of the machine from its original use in the chocolate industry.

Desserts for Saturdays Akshaya Patra serves desserts to its school meal recipients every Saturday. This dessert is based on the regional cuisine and is rich with dry fruits. In the North, kheer and in the South, pongal is served. The children love the dessert and look forward to relishing it every Saturday.

15 “Life is not about money, but about sharing and reaching out to others.” Interview

16 Alexius and Matty Collette serve Akshaya Patra school meals to children

Interview with Alexius Collette, CEO, Philips India

of a simple yet wholesome school meal for We are happy that Philips has been partnering deserving children and their education? with Akshaya Patra since 2003. What are your The meal enables education. Education is the thoughts about the program? key for self development, self esteem and Seeing is believing. The food preparation and employability. In short, a humane future. distribution is very well organized; a jewel in What does Philips hope to achieve through this India. My wife and I not only went to Akshaya longstanding partnership? Patra kitchen and distribution centre but also to a school to distribute the food there, spoke To make a change in the life of children, who to the children and teachers. There were are not born with a bright outlook. We touch a positive reactions from all. limited number, but every child counts for us. As CEO of Philips Innovation Campus I feel that A team of Philips’ colleagues visited we needed to make this modest contribution. Akshaya Patra recently and were also inspired. We are convinced that this is a Life is not about money, but about sharing great program run by very sincere people. and reaching out to others. Then we can have a good work and family life. What is the inspiration for supporting the school A message for Akshaya Patra News & Views meal feeding program for the underprivileged readers. children? Treasure the Akshaya Patra people who put Education. The key driver for social change. in their daily energy to give every year more The school meal program allows children to children a brighter future! Invite others to go to school; else many would be forced to come and see. They all will be convinced of work or beg for money by their parents. Also, the excellent work! learning with an empty stomach does not work; you need a balance between a healthy body and a receptive mind.

“We touch a limited number, but every What in your opinion could be the impact child counts for us.”

17 A new photobank of highly spirited and playful school children has been created for Akshaya Patra. Multiple Cannes Awards winner and noted photographer, Senthil, clicked the photographs on a probono basis.

DonorSpeak

“The school meal program run by Akshaya Patra is phenomenal and great. I support Akshaya Patra, as hunger is a basic issue and children are close to my heart. They are the generation next. “ Dewang Neralla, Mumbai

“My mother is a teacher in a government school in Dharwad, Karnataka. In the last few years that Akshaya Patra has been operating in the region, it has brought in remarkable improvement and made a difference, says she. I have even tasted the Akshaya Patra meal and especially liked the sweet dish. My work keeps me so busy that I don’t get time for social work, I thought at least I should do some charity. So, I chipped in for Akshaya Patra. Besides, there are a lot of NGOs that you can make donations to, but the guarantee of it reaching the right hands is unsure.” Arvind R Patil, Pune 18 Your decision today can influence at least one family’s future. Forever.

Donation form

How many children do you wish to feed and educate? I wish to make my contribution by: Rs 1200* brings one child to school for an entire year. Cheque DD in favour of Rs. 6000 for 5 children The Akshaya Patra Foundation, Bangalore. Rs. 12000 for 10 children Rs. 18000 for 15 children Name of Bank:______Cheque/DD No:______Rs. 24000 for 20 children Visa Card Master Card Diners Card Rs. 30000 for 25 children Credit Card Amount______No. of children______Expiry Date: ______CVV No: ______Name of sponsor: ______Mailing address: ______Enrolment date: ______Introduced by: ______Have you donated to the Akshaya Patra program before? Yes/No ______Donor’s Signature: Date: Off. tel: ______Res. tel:______Donations are eligible for 100% tax deduction under section 35AC Mob:______DOB: ______80GGA(bb) of the IT Act. PAN No: ______*Estimated cost includes cost of food (less government subsidy where applicable), Email:______distribution cost, other costs relating to centralized kitchen infrastructure. 19 The Akshaya Patra Foundation H K Hill, Chord Road Bangalore-560 010, India Ph: 91-80-23471956, 23578346 Fax: 91-80-23578626 E-mail : [email protected] Website: www.akshayapatra.org