Winning the hunger games

Neha Kirpal

A sixth standard student from Salempur-Pataura Primary School at Kakori in Lucknow has become an inspiration to many in her village. With more than a dozen gold medals to her credit, Archana’s, 14, tryst with track and field began when she was in the third standard. As a sportsperson, Archana knows the value of nutritious food. She really looks forward to Akshaya Patra’s food served daily in her school. Her favourite is dal-chawal. “I need to eat nutritious food when I am training. Thankfully, we get ample food in school.” 

Miles away in Odisha, 13-year-old Bishnu Naik is a student of Ishwar Pathak Nodal Upper Primary School in Jaraikela village in the Bisra Tehsil of Sundargarh district. He lives in a hamlet along the slope of a hill at the edge of the forest. Akshaya Patra’s mid-day meal programme comes as a blessing for Bishnu’s family as well. It assures a square meal for him and his younger brother, who studies in the same school. 

For hundreds of children, school is the route to a better life. The school-lunch initiative is an incentive to continue education. According to the Global Hunger Index report released by the International Food Policy Research Institute, India ranks 100th among 119 developing countries. “Despite being the world’s second largest food producer, the country is home to the second highest population of undernourished people in the world. Further, the 2016 Global Education Monitoring Report states that India has 2.9 million primary school going children,” informs Madhu Pandit Dasa, chairman of the organisation.

The President of India recently conferred the National Award for Child Welfare on the Akshaya Patra foundation. A not-for-profit organisation headquartered in Bengaluru, it strives to fight issues like hunger and malnutrition in the country. By implementing the mid-day meal scheme in government schools and government-aided schools, the foundation aims not only to fight hunger, but also to bring children to school. 

Since 2000, the foundation has grown from serving just 1,500 school children across five schools to the world’s largest (not-for-profit run) mid-day meal programme. It serves wholesome food to over 1.66 million children from 13,839 schools across 12 states in India. Its state-of-the-art kitchens have become a subject of study and attract curious visitors from around the world. While helpers serve the food, the headmaster and teachers are always present to ensure that the process is smooth.

The mid-day meal programme is a befitting example of successful public-private partnership for social good. Each meal costs a specific sum, part of which is provided by the government. The government provides grains through the Food Corporation of India and the Food and Civil Supplies Corporations and state governments provide cash subsidies. The deficit amount is raised from corporate and individual donors from within India and abroad through resource mobilisation. We need more such collaborated initiatives to ensure each child gets food in India.