1/4th of the undernourished population lives in India.
Fortunately, for the rest of us, nutritional food is the best source of energy. But, there is a whopping 21.9% of the population living below the poverty line in India. They can’t afford even a single square meal a day. Imagine their plight during the times of the Corona pandemic.
From providing hygiene kits to providing food and attending distress calls, several NGOs have come forward to support the needy during this unprecedented COVID-19 crisis. While some NGOs are working directly with the beneficiaries, many are working in conjunction with the government and local bodies. The Akshaya Patra Foundation is one of the NGOs that has been carrying out its COVID-19 relief service since 25th March 2020 in association with Government of India, State Governments, and District and Local Authorities. During this more than two months of service, the Foundation has already served a cumulative of 5 crore meals. The generous contributions from individual and corporate donors towards the COVID relief fund, has helped the Foundation to serve cooked meals and distribute essential grocery kits to the needy during the lockdown in India.
Strict hygiene and safety measures are adhered to during the preparation of cooked meals and during the packing of relief materials. Food relief materials are served to people who are in need – this includes daily wage workers, migrant labourers, construction site workers and needy people at old age homes and night shelters. Currently, Akshaya Patra provides food relief in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Assam, Tripura, Punjab, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, NCR, Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand and West Bengal.
What does an essential kit contain?
An essential kit is a box full of raw materials that help in making meals. These are served to people who have provisions to cook but are unable to buy raw materials to make meals. Each grocery kit contains rice, oil, pulses and legumes, spices, salt, sugar, and vegetables. These kits are packed in such a way that 2 people can sufficiently eat 42 meals for 21 days.
What role can you play during the COVID-19 crisis on this World Hunger Day?
You are already playing a major part during the lockdown period by staying indoors to contain the spread of the disease. You can go beyond your call of duty on this World Hunger Day by donating towards Akshaya Patra. When you do so, you will be helping your fellow citizen sail through this crisis with stomachs that are full and minds that are at peace without having the thought of how to survive.
How can you contribute towards Akshaya Patra’s COVID-19 Relief Fund?
• You can donate online to Akshaya Patra, here.
• You can create awareness by promoting Akshaya Patra’s COVID-19 Relief Services on various social platforms.
• You can create fundraising campaigns to support Akshaya Patra.
By donating towards Akshaya Patra’s relief services on this World Hunger Day, you can help serving healthy and hygienically prepared meals to millions of needy and vulnerable people.
With your donation, you are helping your fellow citizens stay healthy, satisfied with a full stomach and peace of mind.
Author Profile:
The Akshaya Patra Foundation is an Indian NGO implementing the Mid-Day Meal Programme along with disaster relief services. Your support to Akshaya Patra potentially helps school children with regular nutritious mid-day meals, and the needy during crisis hours.
Normal 0 false false false EN-IN X-NONE X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:8.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:107%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-ansi-language:EN-IN;}