President Droupadi Murmu appreciates the contributions of Akshaya Patra Foundation
Delhi : President of India Smt. Droupadi Murmu met Sri Madhu Pandit Dasa, Chairman of The Akshaya Patra Foundation at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. The President appreciated the feeding programs of Akshaya Patra that have positively impacted lakhs of underprivileged children and families in the country.
Akshaya Patra is recognised as the world’s largest NGO-run school lunch programme. The Foundation also serves fresh and nutritious mid-day meals to 18.7 lakh students of government schools in 65 locations in the country.
A batch of tribal students from Great India Talent School, Kanchanpara, North Tripura got an opportunity to visit the Rashtrapati Bhavan. These students receive food from Akshaya Patra Foundation and belong to the Reang tribe in the far remote forests and hills of Tripura. These children study in a free school run by Akshaya Patra Foundation, specially started for these tribal children. The President interacted with this group of tribal children and inspired them to do well in their areas of interest. The talented children exhibited their tribal culture and heritage by singing a traditional song and performing a traditional tribal dance and presented her with specially handcrafted gifts.
Sri Madhu Pandit Dasa expressed his gratitude and said, “It is our privilege that the Hon’ble President of India spared time to hear about Akshaya Patra and also to meet the tribal students. Smt. Droupadi Murmu Ji has risen to the highest position from a humble background. She is truly an inspiration to the children and youth of our country. We thank Madam President for her kind appreciation and look forward to her guidance in our future initiatives.”
About Great India Talent Foundation
Great India Talent Foundation (GITF) was launched in 2016. It is an endeavour to nurture the natural inclinations of children and provide holistic education, enabling them to secure a better future for themselves, their families and the entire community.
Great India Talent School (also known as Mahan Bharat Pratibha Vidyalaya), the first school of GITF, was inaugurated in Kashirampara, Tripura, on March 29, 2017. We started by providing education from Class LKG to Class 3 with 350 students. GITS Kashirampara currently serves about 600 children from Class LKG to Class 7, predominantly from Naisingpara and Ashapara refugee camps in Tripura.
These children belonging to the Reang tribe from Kashirampara and the surrounding areas get education in English medium, textbooks, notebooks, uniforms, shoes, socks, sweaters, school bags, and mid-day meals entirely free of cost. Medical camps are organised to provide free check-ups, immunisations, etc., for students and teachers regularly with appropriate follow-ups. We also distributed essential grocery relief kits to the students of GITS and their families during the pandemic.
GITS adheres to the CBSE syllabus providing local children access to quality education and Macmillan books like their urban counterparts. They are served fresh, hot and nutritious meals with varied menus from the Akshaya Patra kitchen. This addresses classroom hunger and improves their concentration levels, thus enhancing their learning capacities. We also contribute to the socio-economic development of the Reang community by generating employment opportunities for local youth and women in GITS and the Akshaya Patra kitchen.