Work for Children this

Republic Day

The Akshaya Patra Foundation 2016

Sixty-seven years have passed since the Constitution of India came into effect
and the sovereign democratic republic started its journey towards development.
However, the nation is yet to reach its destination and is still developing.
Definitely there is a reason for this. When India is facing several issues like
population explosion, dowry system, poverty, religious discrimination, inflation
how can it concentrate on development?
These are only some of the several issues India is struggling to solve today and
to start with, the country should concentrate on its children and the issues
surrounding them namely illiteracy, malnutrition and child labour. This is
important because children are the future citizens of a nation and focusing on
them will help speed up its development.

Illiteracy

As Nelson Mandela said, Education is the most powerful weapon which you can
use to change the world, a quality education can help transform a childs life,
decrease the wage gap that exists between genders, end child marriage, early

The Akshaya Patra Foundation 2016

pregnancy, infant mortality, maternal mortality and finally, bring a positive

change on the nation.
However, in India literacy rate stands at 74.4 per cent. Achieving 100 per cent
literacy can be a challenging task considering the rate of children dropout of
schools currently. Nearly 47.4 per cent children studying in class I-X drop-out of
schools in India. The reasons for this occurrence vary from lack of some
childrens interest in studies to their familys poor economic condition.
To tackle illiteracy, Government of India has launched several schemes. The
Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009, SarvaShikshaAbhiyan (SSA)
2000-2001, the Mid-Day Meal Scheme, BetiBachao, BetiPadhao and the
Maharashtra Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MREGS) are some of them.
Apart from these, several initiatives like Teach for India and Teach India operate
across the nation to end illiteracy in India.
Similarly, efforts taken by some individuals likeMukti Gupta (Help Us Help
Them- school on wheels), RituAbbhi who is trying to give quality education to
underprivileged children in Noida and Pranjal Dubey who sold his house to start
a college for rural youth in Madhya Pradesh, fighting illiteracy are also
praiseworthy.
The Akshaya Patra Foundation has also helped improve school education in
India. The NGO delivers freshly cooked meals to underserved children in India
so that no child misses school due to hunger. The organisation, till today, has
helped over 1.4 million students across 10 states in India.
A study conducted by AC Nielson on the impact of Akshaya Patra Mid-Day Meal
Programme found that it had helped increase school attendance, improved
nutritional status of children, helped improve enrolment and decreased drop-out
rates.

Malnutrition

The Akshaya Patra Foundation 2016

Nearly 39 per cent of children under five in India are stunted and nearly 20 per
cent are wasted. These figures bring concern as malnutrition affects physical mental development of a child, damages his or her immunity, increases a childs
risk of developing diseases and even sometimes leads to early death.
In order to tackle malnutrition, the Indian Government has introduced several
schemes including the Rajiv Gandhi National Creche Scheme, Mid-Day Meal
Scheme (MDM), SarvaShikshaAbhiyan (SSA), Integrated Child Development
Services (ICDS), Reproductive Child Health (RCH-II), National Rural Health
Mission (NRHM) and Special Nutrition Programme (SNP). Additionally, to run
these schemes effectively, the Government has appointed frontline workers like
Anganwadi Workers (AWW), The Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA),
Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANM) and Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANM).
Apart from the Government, several organisations and International agencies
like Child in Need Institute (CINI), The Akshaya Patra Foundation, World Food
Programme (WFP) and UNICEF work towards ending malnutrition in India.
The mid-day meals served by Akshaya Patra are rich in all the nutrients required
for childrens growth and thus have been known to fight malnutrition.

Child Labour

Child labour can slow down a nations progress and India has been trying to put
an end to child labour since independence. However, still about 43.53 lakh

The Akshaya Patra Foundation 2016

children aged between five and 14 are trapped in different fields including
mining, quarrying, domestic service or agriculture.
When children start working at an early age, they miss out school and thus
contribute to nations illiteracy rate. Additionally, starting physical work at a
young age can leave a lasting impact on childrens health and make them more
vulnerable to diseases.
The Factories Act (1948), The Mines Act (1952), The Bonded Labour System
(Abolition) Act (1976) The Child Labour Act (Prohibition and Regulation 1986)
and The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act (2009) have
helped fight child labour in India. Additionally, several organisations like the
International Labour Organization, BachpanBachaoAndolan (BBA), M.
Venkatarangaiya Foundation (MVF) and Pratham work to end child labour in
India.
Also, the work of Akshaya Patra in ending child labour and bringing children
back to school is really noteworthy. Millions of children have returned to school
because of the nutritious mid-day meals provided by the organisation.
Like these organisations and the Government, all of us have the responsibility to
save our children from these issues and secure their future.
Getting involved in the good work is now very easy. You can volunteer in the
different activities involved in the making of mid-day meal, fundraise with us or
help us reach more children through donations.
Just 750 can feed a child a year. This Republic Day, donate to the Mid-Day
Meal Programme of Akshaya Patra and show your support and commitment to
the future generation.

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The Akshaya Patra Foundation 2016