THE BACKGROUND
India has experienced significant economic development over the past two decades, yet many are still struggling to provide food for their families. For too many children in India, hunger is a barrier to education, keeping millions locked in a cycle of poverty. The pandemic has resulted in more students dropping out due to lack of funds.
• Out of 100 students, 29% of girls and boys drop out of school before completing the full cycle of elementary education, and often they are the most marginalized children.
• Around 50% of adolescents do not complete secondary education, while approximately 20 million children do not attend pre-school.
• Half of the primary school-going children – which constitutes nearly 50 million children* – not achieving grade-appropriate learning levels.
THE SOLUTION: THE FOOD FOR EDUCATION INITIATIVE
Would you be able to study and learn if hunger was your classroom companion?
Classroom hunger affects children’s ability to learn and grow. To solve this challenge, Akshaya Patra began the Food for Education initiative.
Akshaya Patra strives to eliminate classroom hunger and aims at countering malnutrition and supporting the right to education of socio-economically disadvantaged children. By feeding them one wholesome meal a day, students get the nourishment and motivation they need to pursue an education for a better future.
All it costs is INR 1500 to feed a child for a year.
Children need nutrients so they can grow, develop, and focus on learning instead of thinking about the food they need. Ultimately, they need to be able to concentrate in the classroom so they can succeed in school and be prepared to enter the workforce as adults.
Pic: Students enjoying their wholesome Mid-Day Meal in school.
OBJECTIVES OF THE PROGRAMME
Akshaya Patra is focused on eliminating classroom hunger attracting more children (enrolment) to schools and ensuring to keep them in school (reduce dropout rate) by feeding a filling, nutritious mid-day meal every school day. The Mid-Day meal serves as an incentive for children to get a proper education, improve socialization among children, and empower women through employment opportunities.
Pic: The nutritious meal served in school brings a big smile and positive change in the lives of the students.
FUND GENEROUSLY
IF YOU FUND,
INR 3000, you impact 2 students for a year.
INR 6000, you impact 4 students for a year.
INR 12000, you impact 8 students for a year.
ALL FUNDING HAS 80G BENEFITS.
Pic: The nutritious meal served in school brings a big smile and positive change in the lives of the students.
ABOUT ME AND THIS CAMPAIGN
My name is Amber Azad Mahendra. I am 16 years-old and in Grade 11 at the Chirec International School (CBSE), Hyderabad.
Imagine traveling to school, studying for long hours and playing in the sun, all on an empty stomach. Frightening isn’t it? Just skipping one meal a day would be difficult for most of us. We wouldn’t be able to function too well throughout the rest of the day. Fortunately, we have the luxury of having three meals a day to keep us healthy and strong, both mentally and physically.
However, many children all in govt schools come from low-income homes and do not have this luxury. The happiness they experience by just receiving one meal in a day is immeasurable. Through this campaign, we have the opportunity to convert the dreams of many children into a happy reality by giving them fresh, nutritious and tasty mid-day meals through the Akshaya Patra initiative. It takes just INR 1500 to give a child 232 meals in a year.
The “Akshaya Patra's mid-day meal program”, not only motivates students to go to school but also ensures that they are attentive at school. It impacts attendance, health and grades at school.
So, what are you waiting for? Please support this campaign and bring a smile to a child with your small act of kindness. Help spread this message on your social media platforms so that others also have the opportunity to share in this initiative.
THE IMPACT
WORLD'S LARGEST MID-DAY MEAL PROGRAM
AKSHAYA PATRA KITCHEN - QUALITY AND HYGIENE
From preparation to delivery of mid-day meals, the Akshaya Patra kitchens operate on a daily basis keeping in mind the two most important elements: hygiene and quality.
Centralized Mega Kitchens
Employing a semi-automated, intensive operating model ensures high-quality food. The program has incorporated a centralized approach, backed by technology-driven processes such as enhanced roti-making machines, steam-operated rice and dal cauldrons, heavy-duty vegetable cutters, sophisticated rice and vegetable cleaning machines, etc.
Decentralized Kitchens
The program also incorporates a decentralized mode of operation to cater to the needs of the local community and schools in remote areas.
The unique feature of this model is that quite often, the women cooking the meals are the mothers of the children we reach out to.
EXPENSES BREAKDOWN
OUR PARTNER
Since 2000, Akshaya Patra has been concerting all its efforts towards providing fresh and nutritious meals to children on every single school day. We are continuously leveraging technology to multiply our reach. The state-of-the-art kitchens have become a subject of study and have attracted curious visitors from around the world.
LOCATION - MAP
POWER OF A HOT MEAL
TAX BENEFITS
Funding for this campaign is eligible for tax breaks as Akshaya Patra Foundation as an NGO is a registered trust and you can avail of benefits under section 80G of the IT Act.
FEEDBACK/CAMPAIGN UPDATES FOR YOU
To ensure that there is complete transparency I shall get a report from the NGO (this takes between 2 to 4 months usually after the funds are raised and transferred to them) telling me who benefitted from the funding. The details will then be posted from Akshaya Patra in the UPDATES section of my campaign. As soon as I post an update, the platform will send an EMAIL alert to all the funders - i.e. to you. Click on the link on the email and you can read about who benefitted. That's transparent, right?
The below image is an example of the FEEDBACK FORMAT that we will be sharing with all my funders.
FAQs
When do I get the receipts?
The receipts will start getting processed about 4 to 6 weeks AFTER the campaign is closed and will be sent to you directly.
How can we fund this campaign with a Cheque?
Fueladream Online Ventures Pvt Ltd account details are as below
BANK NAME: HDFC Bank Limited.
BRANCH: Koramangala( Main Branch). City: Bengaluru - 560095.
ACCOUNT NUMBER: 50200013106778
IFSC CODE: HDFC0000053
Please draw a cheque in favour of "Fueladream Online Ventures Pvt Ltd", and deposit the cheque into the Fueladream Online Ventures Pvt Ltd HDFC Bank account (any branch across INDIA). After you deposit the cheque, please send an email to prasad@fueladream.com AND getintouch@fueladream.com with the following funder information.
1) Name of Funder:
2) Full address with Pin code:
3) Telephone/Mobile no and Email ID:
4) PAN of funder:
5) Cheque number:
6) Amount funded:
7) Whose campaign are you funding. (Name of the person OR campaign number/ID):
After the funds are received and the above details are verified, the fund amount will be transferred to the respective campaign. This can take from 1-3 working days.
How does crowdfunding work?
Crowdfunding in India is a relatively new concept and is growing very quickly.
It’s a concept that allows a large number of funders (like you) to fund an idea or a cause or event by giving small amounts of money online. Fueladream.com is a crowdfunding platform in India that allows for such pooling of funds. You can fund innovations and ideas on FuelADream and be the first to get these products or make them come true. You can also do a good turn by funding charities and causes through crowdfunding.
