Archives
Contribute
| Akshaya Patra's Boston Gala Event Raises $365K |
Press Release
05/17/2012
AKSHAYA PATRA FEEDING 1.3 MILLION CHILDREN DAILY
Nitin Nohria, Dean of Harvard Business School, recently recounted the story of how education had made a difference in the life of his father, and ultimately the rest of his family, to a gathering of over 300 invited guests at the annual Akshaya Patra benefit event. “A school which served a mid day meal outside my father’s village was the foremost reason he was able to attend schoolâ€, said Nohria. “My life, and the life of my sister, has been completely transformed by the great opportunity of education given to my father. Had it not been for that one school, and that daily hot meal that encouraged my father to finish, I would not be standing here today.†Nitin drove his point home by claiming Akshaya Patra’s program to be the single most efficient way in which to fulfill the cause of educating children and shared that the organization is the only organization that he is currently serving as a board member.
On May 14, 2012, Dr. Sheena Iyengar, Professor at Columbia Business School, TED global speaker and renowned author of The Art of Choosing as well as Nohria, Akshaya Patra Foundation advisory board member, were the guests of honor at the annual Akshaya Patra Food for Education Gala in Boston, Massachusetts.
Introducing Akshaya Patra, Madhu Sridhar, President and CEO of Akshaya Patra USA, commented on the twin challenges of hunger and lack of access to education facing children in India and the solution that Akshaya Patra offers through its innovative school feeding program. With a sense of urgency, Sridhar stated, “I think of the plight of these children, these children who go to bed with hungry stomachs and get up in the morning with no hope for food. They don’t have a bailout plan. We are their bailout plan.â€
Akshaya Patra, one of the largest NGO run mid day school meal programs in the world, leverages technology to deliver freshly prepared nutritious meals to 1.3 million underprivileged children in over 9000 schools across 10 states of India through 21 kitchens, daily. This meal serves an incentive for children to come to school, stay in school and provides them the nutrients they need to develop their cognitive abilities and focus on learning. A public-private partnership it costs Akshaya Patra $15 to feed a child for an entire academic year. After reaching its initial goal of feeding one million children each school day, Akshaya Patra’s next milestone is to serve 5 million children daily by 2020.
A highlight of the evening was the keynote address delivered by Dr. Sheena Iynegar, in which she spoke eloquently on the ability of choice to enable control over one’s life. Dr. Iyengar remarked, “Choice is the most powerful tool any of us have to shape our lives, our futures, ourselves. Regardless of what fate or chance has in store, when you choose wisdom or compassion towards others you are on your way to mastering the art of choosing.†Impressed with the Akshaya Patra program, Dr. Iyengar generously agreed to speak once annually at an Akshaya Patra benefit event.
The primary focus of the event was to raise awareness and funds for Akshaya Patra and its unique and innovative program for fighting hunger and promoting education simultaneously. The benefit was attended by key community leaders, business executives and eminent change agents committed to unlock these children from the vicious and perpetual cycle of poverty and determined to closing the gap between the haves and the have-nots.
Inspired by the words of both Dr. Iyengar and Nitin Nohria, the residents of Boston responded generously with an impressive $365,000 to further the mission of Akshaya Patra and to expand its already astounding program.
“We are touched by the generous support of the Boston community to help build this program of highest relevance for the bottom of the pyramid. Akshaya Patra is an inspiring movement that is bringing smiles of hope to the deserving children in India,†said Madhu Sridhar, President and CEO of Akshaya Patra USA.
For more information about Akshaya Patra, please visit www.foodforeducation.org .
|
You may also access this article through our web-site http://www.lokvani.com/
