Akshaya Patra Wins BBC Global Food Champion Award 2019
by Akshaya Patra NGO in India - Akshaya PatraGood work is always
rewarded – is a fact; especially for those who strive to make this world a
better place. Amazingly, there is a tribe amongst us who despite the daily
humdrums and busy schedules find a way to do something to uplift the society;
for the will of doing it, not for the praise they would possibly earn. Similar
is the idea behind NGOs too. NGOs are organised groups of like-minded people
who come together to work and provide solutions and remedies for a particular
concern or issue hampering the entire society. Their work ranges from human to
environmental concerns, economy to technology, land to marine lives, and more. In
India alone, there are more than 3.2 million registered NGOs working for
different causes. Among them is The Akshaya Patra Foundation supporting the
education of children by implementing the Mid-Day
Meal Programme.
A little more about The
Akshaya Patra Foundation
Akshaya Patra is one of the
pioneer mid-day meal NGOs in India with the vision, ‘No child in India shall
be deprived of education because of hunger.’ It has been providing
nutritious lunch to children of Government schools and Government-aided schools
since 2000. The Foundation has been recognised as the world’s largest NGO-run school
lunch programme. It has also been recipient of several NGO awards both
at national and international platform. This indeed boosts their motivation but
the real inspiration comes from the children they serve.
What inspires Akshaya
Patra?
Children and their dreams
- these are two most inspiring factors for Akshaya Patra. The Mid-Day Meal
Programme beneficiaries hail from challenging socio-economic backgrounds.
This meal acts as an incentive for them to attend school while also receiving the
much-needed nutrition.
“I want to be a doctor and
provide free treatment to people”, says Indu after seeing her grandmother unable to
avail medical check-up due to high healthcare cost.
“I want to be a
professional carrom player and give international recognition to this game”, says Navasa after
discovering his passion for this game.
“I want to be an engineer because
I believe engineering can resolve several gripping issues right from generating
clean energy to creating support gadgets that can help people while driving”, says Santosha after
witnessing the hardship his father undergoes as a bus driver.
… And there are MANY MORE
SUCH DREAMS across India. Of all the budding dreams, Akshaya Patra currently
nourishes 17,62,133 dreams. And that’s the reason this NGO strives to provide
school meals regularly with the aim to bring more children under the ambit of
the Mid-Day Meal Programme, in the near future.
Laurels received by
Akshaya Patra
The impact Akshaya Patra
is creating across the country is not hidden any more. The Foundation has
received several laurels in appreciation of its good governance, financial
transparency, food safety and quality management, and the overall impact it has
been creating for the past 18 years. Click here to view the awards and recognitions this NGO for children
has children has received for its dedicated service.
Among
the most recent Akshaya Patra awards is the Global Food Champion Award 2019 from BBC World Service.
The Foundation received a spontaneous standing ovation
from each and every one present at the event. This was the third edition of the Global Food Champion,
recognising people or causes, which are contributing to the way the world
produces, processes, consumes or thinks about food for the better. Among all
the nominations, Akshaya Patra was a unanimous choice of the international
panel of judges. The Iranian-American writer and chef, Ms Samin Nosrat, Head
Judge of the panel said, "I am really moved by getting school lunches
paid for in the States and so to see it being done on such a large scale and in
such an incredible way by Akshaya Patra that was a really moving and powerful
thing to see. There is nothing more important to me than getting children fed.
Several studies have proven that this is fundamental."
As a wrap
NGO awards are a great way to
compliment the good work several organisations are doing day in and day out. It
sure boosts up the spirit of these organisations who do what they do for the
well-being of the community.
Sponsor Ads
Created on Jul 4th 2019 07:40. Viewed 787 times.