This kitchen will enable the foundation to serve over 1000 meals every day to students across eight neighbouring schools
Chikkabalapur, Karnataka: 26th August 2022: Gemini Edibles and Fats India Ltd (GEF India), the marketers of Freedom Healthy Cooking Oils as a part of their CSR initiative have partnered with The Akshaya Patra Foundation in building eight individual school-based kitchens in Chikkaballapur, Karnataka. It was inaugurated in the presence of Mr. Mukesh Tiwari, CHRO, The Akshaya Patra Foundation; Mr. P Chandra Shekhara Reddy, Senior Vice President – Sales & Marketing, and Mr. Chetan P, DGM – Marketing & Branding along with members from the Karnataka team for Freedom Healthy Cooking Oils.
These School-Based kitchens are feeding programmes initiated to undertake small-scale feeding, typically up to 500- 2,000 meals a day, with community participation (SHGs and CCH involved at the school level), ownership, and inclusiveness at their core. Amongst the eight kitchens, two kitchens are newly built and six kitchens have been renovated as per Government Standard protocols set by the Government of Karnataka. These eight kitchens will facilitate in reaching over 1000 rural PM POSHAN (formerly the Mid-Day Meal Scheme) beneficiaries and ensure that the Government school children get nutritious and hot cooked meals every day. This program has been executed under the State Government-sponsored Namma Shalae Namma Kodugae scheme.
The inauguration event was followed by a tour of the kitchen facility and a symbolic serving of meals to the children. The dignitaries present unequivocally commended Akshaya Patra’s efforts to address hunger and malnutrition in the country through the feeding program and pledged their support to the organization’s endeavours.
The school-based kitchens have been built-up in an area of is approx. 221 Sft (each kitchen) *8 kitchens. These kitchens are equipped with state-of-the-art infrastructure and shall follow the manufacturing practices and the highest standards of hygiene, food safety, and quality to ensure that nutritious food is cooked and delivered to children. Adhering to the practice of serving food in accordance with the local palate, Akshaya Patra will be serving rice, vegetable preparations, such as green leaves sambar, brinjal sambar, palya/ gojju, Bisi bele bath dal sabji, veg pulao, khichdi and sweet in a cyclic manner in the region.
Akshaya Patra will also provide employment opportunities to the locals. As a norm, the Foundation’s kitchens have a large workforce, comprising women and men belonging to various backgrounds and communities.
Speaking on the association,Mr. P. Chandra Shekhara Reddy, Senior Vice President, Sales & Marketing, Freedom Healthy Cooking Oils, said, “We, at GEF India, firmly believe that ‘Food is a fundamental human right’. We strive to work towards fulfilling this responsibility towards the community we live and operate in. We are elated to join hands with The Akshaya Patra Foundation for the noble cause of providing nutritious meals to underprivileged students across India. We are donating food delivery vehicles to reiterate our partnership with the Foundation and reach the larger goal of eliminating child malnutrition in India. We are happy to associate with the noble cause.”
Mr. Anant Arora, Chief Sustainability & Communication Officer, Akshaya Patra, said, ” Over the years, it has become evident that mid-day meals serve as a stimulus for children to come to school. We are deeply grateful to GEF India, for collaborating with us in feeding the beneficiaries across the rural part of Karnataka under the PM Poshan program. In fact, I have personally met many of these children and heard from them what this meal means to them. I want to thank the Government of Karnataka for this opportunity to serve the children of the state. We are serving Mid-day meals to over 1.8 million children every school day, thanks to donors, such as GEF India. Truly a corporate with a heart and an empathetic partner that embodies zeal.”
