NGO in Chhattisgarh and Its mid-day meal impact

One of the fastest developing states in India, Chhattisgarh is a reserve of unspoiled natural beauty. The state is rich in natural resources and also prides to have effective industrial sector mainly electricity, steel, and aluminium. The education index indicates that with 71% literacy rate (Census 2011), Chhattisgarh fared just below the national average of 74% (Census 2011). The health index of the state is not a very pleasant sight with higher than the national average rate of female malnutrition, under-five mortality, and underweight children. Several schemes have been initiated by the government to improve this situation of the state. As a helping arm to all government’s efforts, The Akshaya Patra Foundation made its way into the state in 2009 as a mid-day meal NGO in Bhilai.

The Mid-Day Meal Scheme is an initiative by Government of India to provide cooked meals to children studying in government and government-aided schools. Akshaya Patra is an implementing arm of this Scheme in 12 states of India including Chhattisgarh. The NGO is currently providing mid-day meal i.e. school lunch to 29,835 children in 192 schools of Bhilai on each school day.

Mid-day meal in Chhattisgarh

Akshaya Patra serves mid-day meal in Chhattisgarh by operating a centralised kitchen in Bhilai. This kitchen is ISO 22000:2005 certified and cooks up to 2,000 kilograms of rice, 3,000 litres of dal (lentil curry), and 2,200 litres of sabji (vegetable) every day. Similar to all Akshaya Patra kitchens, the Bhilai kitchen too strictly adheres to hygiene and cleanliness practices while preparing meals. The kitchen is equipped with cauldrons for preparing rice, dal, and vegetables, rice chutes, and trolleys. It has a fleet of 11 customised insulated delivery vehicles to deliver cooked meals to beneficiary schools.

As a pro-environment measure, the Bhilai kitchen uses solid wastes are used to prepare fertilizers thereby preventing their flow through municipal pipelines. In order to increase efficiency and enhance productivity, this kitchen has adopted methodologies such as Kaizen, Continuous Improvement Projects and Six Sigma.

To know more about the implementation of the Mid-Day Meal Scheme in the state you can either continue reading in English or choose to read in Hindi by clicking Mid-Day Meal Scheme in Hindi.

Food served by Akshaya Patra in Chhattisgarh

Akshaya Patra wants that every child must readily consume the mid-day meal and benefit from the nutritious meals. Thus, the NGO designs its meals menu based on the local taste of a particular location. So, as a mid-day meal NGO in Bhilai, Akshaya Patra’s menu is specific to the local taste of Chhattisgarh. Some of the menu items served to children of Chhattisgarh are: plain rice, jeera rice (cumin rice), vegetable pulao (rice-based dish made with mix vegetables), khichdi (a dish made of rice, lentils and vegetables), dal (lentil curry), boondi kadhi (a yogurt based side dish made with curd and gram flour), mix vegetable, aloo chokey (potato based dish), aloo tomato, aloo cabbage, aloo soyabadi (a dish made with potato and soya chunks), aloo kundru (a dish made with potato and ivy gourd), desi chana (chickpea dish), buttermilk, papad (a thin, crisp, disc-shaped snack), chakkali (a type of salty fritter), tomato chutney (a type of Indian sauce), pickle, suji halwa (a semolina-based sweet dish), and kheer (a rice or vermicelli-based sweet dish).

Extend Support to Akshaya Patra for feeding more children in Chhattisgarh

The mid-day meal has dual benefits for children hailing from not-so-privileged backgrounds. First, it provides the necessary nutrients required for healthy growth of children. Second, it acts as an incentive for children to come to school paving way for education. Studies reveal that the Mid-Day Meal Scheme has had several positive impacts on the health and education status of children – something that is crucial for Chhattisgarh too.

When you extend your support to Akshaya Patra you will help to nourish and nurture the children of the state. You can change and better the lives of children in just one click by opting to contribute online donations to charity. You can also opt to adopt a school and provide meals to children for a year. Every penny of your contribution is valuable and rest assured it will all be utilised for the benefit of children. Be a builder of a better society. Feed a child today!

The Akshaya Patra Foundation is an Ngo in India providing food for 1.6 million school children across 12 States and 28 locations.