Akshaya Patra, the world’s largest NGO that works in the field of providing mid- day meals across 12 states and 32 kitchens set up all over. 

This initiative to solve the problem of malnutrition and hunger was started in 2000 and today it feeds around 1,675,008 children every day across 13,839 schools all over the country. The aim of the foundation is to feed 5 million children by 2020.

The programme was set up by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada in a temple after he saw children fighting with stray dogs for food. It pinched his heart and this lead to the formation and beginning of this grand initiative. The Akshaya Patra’s mid day meal programme aims at removing children hunger, promoting school participation and providing women employment.

The state of the art set up of the kitchen is due to the latest technologies being implemented to prepare food.

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Kitchen at Akshaya Patra Foundation

The kitchens have adopted Six Sigma Methodologies. These are centralized units where cooking begins early in the morning. These kitchens have cauldrons, trolleys, rice chutes, dal/sambar tanks, cutting boards, knives and other equipments required for the preparation of the meal.  Every rice cauldron is of 500 liters capacity and every dal cauldron has 1200 liters to 3000 liters capacity. Roti are not prepared by hand rather Roti making machines have been installed in the kitchens of the Northern India. The quality of raw materials used is assured through various quality inspection measures.

Steam sterilized vessels are used in the transportation of food to schools. The Research and Development team aims at implementing the latest technology for the fast, easy and hygienic production of food.

It is the world’s largest kitchen preparing food for thousands of school students and providing employment to many. The Akshaya Patra Foundation receives funding from various government and private organizations and aids as a helping hand to the Government of India’s Mid- Day Meal Programme.

It aims to address 5 major issues which is to-

• Avoid classroom hunger
• Increase school enrolment
• Enhance school attendance
• Improve socialization among castes
• Address the problem of malnutrition
• Empower women through employment

It runs various fund raising and social media campaigns to raise funds for the foundation. According to a report by UNESCO around 17.7 million children in India do not attend school with the maximum number of school drop outs coming from Uttar Pradesh followed by Bihar and Rajasthan. Hence this is an initiative that aims at solving a very significant and neglected issue of the country. Support levied by the Government and private organizations is the backbone of the system that is serving thousands and preventing children from facing hunger or malnutrition.