Yesterday, on the last day of May, the new employees of Akshaya Patra had an induction, or rather an introduction to the Foundation.
“Akshaya Patra is not just an NGO, it is a movement,” with these motivational words, Mr Nagabhushan, the head of Human Resources, began the induction.
As we sat through the pleasant summer afternoon, we learnt about all the details of the new place we would now be working in. Akshaya Patra, an NGO in Bangalore that has grown from a small pilot program to one of the largest non-profits in the world, is now rapidly expanding across India in the hopes of reaching out to 5 million children by 2020. What may be considered as a rather ambitious goal is thought of as an achievable reality by Akshaya Patra. After all, the organization has nearly 10 years of experience to back it up. A decade of selfless dedication and 1.2 million smiling children are proof of the work done.
“In the last ten years, there has not been a single day when the meal was not served,” said Mr. Shridhar Venkat, the Executive Director of the Foundation. He encouraged us to visit the schools where our program was being conducted.
“If you go there, you will see there are people who have become engineers, lawyers, teachers, who used to have the food we provide. That is the power of one meal.” The Foundation aimed, at large, to impact the nation in a positive and profound way.
“We want to see the country, especially our children, hunger free,” he emphasized.
He asked us to share our own desires and expectations from the organization. While many were honest enough to admit they only wished for a good compensation, others shared their own vision for the organization.
“I want to see Akshaya Patra reach out to every village in India,” said one of the newer members of the team.
“I want us to keep doing what we do,” said another.
Pleased with what he had heard, and happy to see that the new people coming into the Foundation were not only honest, but also dedicated, Mr Venkat left us with these words:
“If you want to do anything good, first believe in it. Be in the place where the action happens.”