There is simply no bond in this world that is quite as special and strong as the bond between a mother and her child. It’s a bond born of the miracle of life – your mother fed, nurtured and loved you before you were even born, and that love will continue to follow you for the rest of your life. Time and distance mean nothing to a love like that – it truly is infinite – and Mother’s Day, May 14th (the second Sunday of May), celebrates this unique and vital relationship.
Akshaya Patra is a non-profit NGO that supports these pillars of strength through its school lunch programme, lightening the load of thousands of mothers across India who can now be assured that their child is receiving a healthy meal every single weekday at school.
Among the 2,352 women who work for Akshaya Patra, many are mothers and some are, in fact, mothers of children that are currently benefiting from the midday meal programme. It brings these women immense joy and satisfaction to make a difference and to help impact the lives of these school-age kids – those who are theirs and those who aren’t.
Akshaya Patra also runs their Anganwadi feeding programme at 3,079 Anganwadi centres, reaching 152,041 children from 0-6 years old, and operating in 7 different locations scattered across 5 Indian states. In addition to this, the NGO has striven to provide healthy and nutritious meals to almost 6,000 expectant or lactating mothers at 298 centres in Jaipur alone. The terms of expectancy and lactation are so important, and Akshaya Patra ensures these mothers receive the proper nutrition that is vital for them during this time.
Mothers are at the very center of every home, life and heart, and we are meant to treat them with gentleness, respect and the greatest love. We would not exist without them and that’s why we owe it to them to support them each step of the way, and help give them the life they need and deserve.
