The Akshaya Patra Foundation, an organization with the vision that no child shall be deprived of education because of hunger, was today named to The Tech Awards Laureates 2009, one of 15 global innovators recognized each year for applying technology to benefit humanity and spark global change. The Tech Awards, a signature program of The Tech Museum, and presented by Applied Materials, Inc., selected Akshaya Patra from among hundreds of nominations representing 66 countries.

Established in 2000, The Tech Awards recognizes 15 Laureates in five universal categories: education, equality, environment, economic development and health. These Laureates have developed new technological solutions or innovative ways to use existing technologies to significantly improve the lives of people around the world.  One Laureate in each category will receive a $50,000 cash prize during the annual Awards Gala in San Jose, Calif. on November 19. Akshaya Patra was chosen as part of the education category.

This year, the Laureates represent the truly global vision of the program, spanning countries such as Brazil, Bangladesh, Botswana and the Bay Area. Their work impacts people in many more countries worldwide.

Akshaya Patra, the world’s largest NGO-run midday meal program, was selected for being a pioneering program in India's social and developmental sector, using technology extensively to provide freshly prepared, wholesome meals to over one million underserved children daily in over 5,700 schools. This meal is an incentive for children 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. The program is a strategic intervention aimed at unlocking the vicious cycle of poverty and hunger.

“The global challenges of the day have become increasingly strident, more deeply rooted,” said Peter Friess, president of The Tech Museum. “Still, there is hope. These incredibly impressive Laureates have all proven to be equal to, or better than, the challenge to make the world a better place. By celebrating their accomplishments today, we are encouraging future innovators to work toward solutions to make the world healthier, safer and more sustainable.”

The Tech Awards: Technology Benefiting Humanity is one of the premier annual humanitarian awards programs in the world, recognizing technical solutions that benefit humanity and address the most critical issues facing our planet and its people. The awards program honors 15 scientists and innovators annually alongside the recipient of the Global Humanitarian Award. Laureates are selected by a prestigious panel of international judges organized by the Center for Science, Technology, and Society at Santa Clara University, and made up of Santa Clara University faculty as well as leaders from educational and research institutions, industry and the public sector around the world.
“We are humbled by this honor. Our program is not about providing a meal to the hungry, but about providing an opportunity to a young child to realize his or her full potential,” said Madhu Sridhar, president and CEO of Akshaya Patra USA.  “Important changes in the world often hinge on the actions of ordinary people with extraordinary commitment. This honor bestowed on the organization is due to the efforts of all those who shared our vision that no child shall be deprived of education because of hunger.”

The Tech Awards collaborates with humanitarian, educational, and business partners through global outreach efforts, giving people around the world the opportunity to benefit from the successful technologies recognized through The Tech Awards. The selected Laureates’ projects address multiple humanitarian efforts including developing alternate ways to generate electricity, creating free educational tools, evaluating ethical wage standards and reducing counterfeit drugs.

Key sponsors supporting The Tech Awards include Applied Materials, Inc., Intel Corporation, Nokia, Microsoft, The Swanson Foundation, BD Biosciences, Polycom, Genentech, Wells Fargo, SAP, eBay, KPMG, Accenture, The Quattrone Foundation, Google, NBC11, Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide, The Fairmont San Jose, Montgomery Hotel, Marriott San Jose and American Airlines. Key partners include Santa Clara University’s Center for Science, Technology, and Society, World Federation of United Nations Associations, United Nations Development Programme, World Bank Institute, Catholic Relief Services, The CORE Group, National Center for Technology Innovation and Opportunity International.  

For more information about Akshaya Patra, please visit www.foodforeducation.org. For more information about The Tech Awards, visit www.techawards.org.  

About Akshaya Patra

Akshaya Patra, a public-private partnership, started modestly in 2000 by feeding 1,500 children and has grown exponentially in the last nine years to feed over one million children daily through 17 kitchens in seven states in India. Because of intensive use of technology, Akshaya Patra delivers 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 feeds two children. An AC Nielsen Impact Study of the program showed improved school enrollment, retention rates and classroom performance. Akshaya Patra is a great example of what can be accomplished when the public sector, private sector and the civic society collaborate-- a cost effective, scalable solution with high quality service delivery.

Indigenously designed centralized kitchens optimize quality and minimize cost. The organization operates centralized kitchens in urban and suburban areas. The centralized model is technology-intensive. The automated kitchen facility is a classic example of how mechanization has improved efficiency and ensured quality. Appropriate technological considerations have governed all phases of the design and process. The facility consists of a series of mechanized steam-heated cauldrons, custom-built to cook nutrient-rich, native food most appreciated by children on a long-term basis. Mechanization has minimized human handling of food to ensure high standards of hygiene and cleanliness. Steam heating has accelerated the cooking process, enabling the Foundation to prepare meals in large scale in less than five hours. The centralized kitchens are located in Bangalore, Hubli-Dharwad, Mangalore, Mysore, Bellary, Jaipur, Nathdwara, Puri, Gandhinagar/Ahmedabad, Vrindavan, Hyderabad, Visakapatanam and Bhilai.  Six of the Akshaya Patra kitchens have received FSMS ISO 22000:2005 certification– a first of its kind achievement for an NGO. Akshaya Patra’s next milestone is to serve 5 million children daily by 2020.

About The Tech Museum of Innovation
The Tech Museum is a hands-on technology and science museum for people of all ages and backgrounds.  Located in San Jose, California – the Capital of Silicon Valley – its mission, as a public-benefit corporation, is to inspire the innovator in everyone. Through hands-on exhibits, educational programs, The Tech Challenge team competition for youth, and the internationally recognized The Tech Awards, presented by Applied Materials, Inc., The Tech Museum honors the past, celebrates the present, and encourages the development of innovative ideas for a more promising future. For more information about The Tech Museum, visit www.thetech.org.

|