Akshaya Patra – Winning accolades for fighting hunger

Ridding mankind of hunger is among the greatest services one can do for society. Children especially, are vulnerable to the effects of hunger – physical, mental and social. When hunger seeps into the classroom, it robs children of their concentration, affecting their grades and future prospects. The Akshaya Patra Foundation, an NGO in Assam, has been working tirelessly to combat the issue of classroom hunger. Started in the year 2000, Akshaya Patra now feeds over 1.6 million across India, including Guwahati. Its Mid-Day Meal Programme is the largest such NGO-run initiative in the world.

The Foundation’s work over the past 17 years has been recognised, praised and honoured through numerous awards and dignitary visits. These include prestigious international as well as national accolades. 

·         In 2016, Akshaya Patra received the Nikkei Asia Prize for noteworthy achievements in the Economic and Business Innovation category

·         TAPF was felicitated by CNN-News18 and Infosys, as part of its Innovating For A Better Tomorrow show, for positively impacting over a million Indian lives

·         The World Economic Forum invited Akshaya Patra at The Project Hunger in Africa to share its experiences

·         Barack Obama, President of The United States of America, sent a letter of appreciation to The Akshaya Patra Foundation, thanking it for its efforts.

·         Akshaya Patra was chosen as a recipient organisation for the The Mickey Leland International Hunger Fellows Programme. This programme pairs upcoming leaders with effective organisations that address the primary causes of hunger across the world

·         Public Relations Council of India (PRCI) conferred the Chanakya award upon Akshaya Patra for NGO of the year 2015

·         The Foundation won the Best NGO award at Mother Teresa Awards 2014

·         In 2009, Akshaya Patra entered the Limca Book of Records for running the largest mid-day meal programme in the world

 The Foundation’s mid-day meals in Assam and other states in India are cooked in state-of-the-art ISO-certified kitchens. These kitchens have seen visits from numerous illustrious people and dignitaries over the years. Former Presidents, spiritual leaders, luminaries from the corporate, entertainment, technology and other fields, have all visited thesse kitchens. These include Former Indian President APJ Abdul Kalam, Nobel Peace Prize-winning  Bangladeshi social entrepreneur Mohammed Yunus, former United States President Bill Clinton, musicians Shankar Mahadevan, Sona Mohapatra and Ram Sampath, and His Holiness The 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet have all graced Akshaya Patra’s kitchens.

Akshaya Patra’s efforts, through its noble cause of ‘unlimited food for education’ are feeding the hungry children and helping secure their futures by keeping them in school. Join the movement to ensure that no child is deprived of education by donating to the Foundation now.