By every measure, the inaugural Food for Education Gala for the Akshaya Patra Foundation was a resounding success. Held on Friday, October 5th at the Marlowe Hotel in Cambridge, this sold-out event hosted over 250 impressive guests from diverse backgrounds, including first and second generation community leaders.   Guests were greeted by smiling photographs of Akshaya Patra children.

Scores of talented, dedicated volunteers worked behind the scenes for weeks creating an ambiance especially fitting with the Akshaya Patra’s mission of eradicating hunger and promoting education among underprivileged children in India. From centerpieces of copper pots overflowing with fruits and vegetables symbolic of Akshaya Patra, to place cards written on miniature chalkboards, there was a constant reminder that the gala is for the benefit of these children. Deval L. Patrick, Governor of Massachusetts commended Akshaya Patra “for your dedication to the intellectual and physical nourishment of India’s children.” The inaugural gala raised over $170,000, exceeding its goal.

The Akshaya Patra Foundation is a non-profit organization running the largest school lunch program of its kind in the world. It is revolutionizing the approach to ending hunger and promoting education among the most underprivileged children in India. The organization set up its first kitchen in 2000 to feed 1,500 children in Bangalore and has scaled its operations to feed almost 800,000 children on a daily basis today, in thirteen kitchens located in the states of Karnataka, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Orissa and Gujarat.

This program is unique in magnitude, complexity, method of delivery and approach, using technology extensively to minimize cost, time and labor. For a cost of just $28 (US) per child annually, Akshaya Patra is providing underprivileged children in India with a free, nutritious meal, often the only meal they receive for the entire day. 

The most fascinating segment of the evening was to hear two distinguished guests, Mira Kamdar and Gururaj Deshpande. Coming from quite different backgrounds, they both connected the success of Akshaya Patra to its ability to scale its operations from a few devoted individuals to a fully sophisticated machinery and supply chain.

Gururaj Deshpande, a serial entrepreneur and a strong supporter of Akshaya Patra inspired the audience with his passionate speech that underscored his deep belief in the mission and his admiration for the accomplishments of Akshaya Patra. He reminded attendees that we should not feel that we are helping those in India, but rather we should thank those working for Akshaya Patra for teaching the West how to create a scalable and sustainable NGO model.  Unlike the past, today innovation in India is readily leading change and advancement in the West.

Senator Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts echoed Deshpande’s sentiment in his greetings for the gala, writing, “your innovative model is combating hunger on impressively large scale, and it has the potential of improving the way we approach poverty throughout the world.”
Mira Kamdar, an award winning writer and essayist who is a senior fellow at the World Policy Institute since 1992 and the author of Planet India: How the Fastest Growing Democracy is Transforming America and the World shared alarm in statistics to emphasize the challenges India is facing when it comes to malnourishment and education among children. She stressed that hunger and denial of educational opportunities are destabilizing agents and have global impact. She called upon the audience to embrace and support leading organizations like Akshaya Patra that are setting the pace for progress in India from the bottom up.

Senator John F. Kerry shared the sentiment, “In an increasingly interconnected world, the effect of instability and hopelessness in one community can be felt in communities thousands of miles away…As the world gets smaller, we need to embrace big ideas and recognize that a small problem somewhere can quickly become a big problem everywhere….Akshaya Patra does wonderful and important work and all Americans should support their profound undertaking.”
Akshaya Patra launched its U.S. operations in 2006 to help sustain and expand the program. The goal of the office, located in Stoneham, Massachusetts is to raise funds by increasing awareness throughout the country about Akshaya Patra’s proven track record and unique scalable solution.   Under the leadership of the new President Madhu Sridhar, Akshaya Patra will take its mission beyond Boston and create a grassroots movement by forming Champion Circles all across United States.  Akshaya Patra also plans to aggressively garner support from corporations through matching funds and foundation grants, especially engaging corporations with a presence in India.

“Akshaya Patra is an initiative that could transform India if we could replicate it nationwide,” said Madhu Sridhar, President of Akshaya Patra USA. “A developed India tomorrow cannot be a reality until we take responsibility for this vulnerable segment of our population. We need to take individual responsibility to be part of the solution. Akshaya Patra offers that solution,” said Sridhar.

For more information, visit the website www.foodforeducation.org or contact Madhu Sridhar at madhu@akshayapatrausa.org

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