Akshaya Patra provides hot, nutritious meals to over 2 million children in 22,000 schools across India every day. For many children, this is their only meal of the day.

Hunger is a barrier to education and consequently a better life for millions of children across India. Many people send their children to work to support the family instead of sending them to school to get an education. The children who do make it to school are often vulnerable to classroom hunger. Children who come to school hungry are not able to concentrate on classroom activities. As a result, the very purpose of schooling is defeated. A hot mid-day meal at school can go a long way in making life easier for millions of children and their families across the country.

Working with the government, Akshaya Patra seeks to ensure that no child is deprived of education because of hunger. Mid-day meals serve as incentives for children to attend school and for parents to send their children to school instead of sending them to work to support the family. It improves the enrolment rate, attendance, performance and nutritional profile of the children and reduces the dropout rate. It also serves as an economic support for the family by taking care of their child’s one meal of the day.