The Akshaya Patra Foundation, an organization with the vision that no child shall be deprived of education because of hunger, recently partnered with the Network of Indian Professionals (NetIP) North America in a strategic alliance that will help advance both organizations’ goals.

Akshaya Patra will serve as a NetIP Alliance Partner. Together, both organizations will promote awareness of the dual challenges facing India, hunger and access to education. NetIP will support Akshaya Patra’s mission by promoting the Foundation in its blog, newsletter and website, and at its programs, events and national conferences. NetIP members will also help by volunteering at Akshaya Patra’s events across the country. Akshaya Patra will recognize NetIP as a partner at their events and participate on their "Primetime with NetIP" HD Radio show and at the NetIP Annual Conference.

“As a NetIP member myself, I am excited that both of our organizations will be working together to promote the link between a child’s right to food and a child’s right to education,” said Seema Joshi, Akshaya Patra’s Grassroots Development Director. “It is important as young professionals to think beyond our self-development and to take action to solve social injustices and advance the global community as a whole.”

Akshaya Patra is the winner of many awards and accolades. Heralded by President Barack Obama in a letter as “an imaginative approach that has the potential to serve as a model for other countries,” Harvard Business School developed a case study for its MBA curriculum on Akshaya Patra's model for precise time management.  The organization has also been recognized by the Limca Book of World Records and was the winner of the 2008 CNBC-TV India Business Leader of the Year Award.

"Giving back to the community has continued to be one of NetIP's primary goals. Partnering with Akshaya Patra this year allows us to do just this by addressing hunger and education among underprivileged children in India,” said Aruna Paramasivam, president of NetIP North America. “As successful professionals in North America, we strive to instill a sense of responsibility among our members towards their communities and provide them with opportunities to engage in charitable activities. Akshaya Patra is a great vehicle for us to do so!"

About Akshaya Patra

The Akshaya Patra Foundation, the world’s largest NGO-run midday meal program, is currently feeding  freshly prepared, healthy, nutritious meals daily  to over one million underserved children in over 5,700 government schools in seven states in India.  A public-private partnership, Akshaya Patra combines good management, innovative technology and smart engineering to deliver school lunch at a fraction of the cost of similar programs in other parts of the world. It costs $28 to feed a child daily for the entire school year. With an average government subsidy of 50 percent, $28 can feed two children. For many of the children this is their only complete meal for the day. This gives them an incentive to come to school, stay in school and provides them with the necessary nutrients they need to develop their cognitive abilities to focus on learning.

Akshaya Patra’s kitchens are specially designed by engineers to leverage technology. The organization also sources its food stocks from local markets, thereby reducing costs associated with transportation and food spoilage while supporting the local economy. In a short time, the foundation has grown to become the largest, and certainly most innovative, school lunch program in the world. Akshaya Patra is a great example of what can be accomplished when public sector, private sector and the civic society collaborate-- a cost effective, scalable solution with high quality service delivery. After reaching its goal of feeding one million children each school day, Akshaya Patra’s next milestone is to serve 5 million children daily by 2020. For more information, please visit www.foodforeducation.org.

About NetIP

The Network of Indian Professionals (NetIP) is a professional, non-profit organization dedicated to the overall achievement and advancement of South Asian professionals. The primary focus of the organization is to foster a bond among South Asian professionals to unite and support each other locally, as well as to give back and contribute positively to the communities in which they live and work. NetIP evolved in Chicago in 1990 initially as a small-scale forum. Today, the organization includes over 3,000 members and more than 40,000 subscribers in 24 cities across United States and Canada. NetIP has become a premier networking brand in our community over the years. It is the unequivocal voice for an emerging group of South Asians, who excel in every aspect of western society, from business to politics to the arts. The rise of NetIP and its affiliated chapters reflects a general “Coming of Age” by South Asian professionals. For more information, go to www.netip.org.

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