The Akshaya Patra Foundation has collaborated with a leading investor in the Indian power sector Apraava Energy to set up a centralised mid-day meal kitchen that will serve nutritious meals to 25,000 children daily in 450 government schools in Jorhat, Assam. The project is funded by an anchor donation of Rs 6.11 crore from Credit Suisse and aims to ensure the provision of healthy balanced meals to children, reduce school dropouts and enhance enrolment in schools. The kitchen is in an advanced stage of construction and is expected to be operational by July 2022.
Apraava Energy will provide a fund for INR 2.14 crore towards the design and construction of the kitchen premises and the necessary Capex equipment. It will be responsible for the daily operations of the kitchen and supply of wholesome and well-balanced nutritious meals to the schools and anganwadis. It extended support towards the Akshaya Patra’s feeding program in Hubli and Nawabpet. The Bengaluru-based NGO plans to employ the staff for the kitchen from the communities around Jorhat. The Foundation now operates 61 kitchens across 13 States and a Union Territory. The centralized kitchens have the capacity to cook up to 1 lakh meals daily.
The CMO of the Akshaya Patra Foundation Mr Sundeep Talwar said, “Partnerships such as these form an integral part of our endeavours to ensure equitable access to nutrition and education for the children in India.”