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Indo American News • Friday, July 16 , 2010
Divinity and Ingenuity Guide a Program that Feeds Millions 5 food their kids get and a feeds kids in 200 schools in full stomach fosters a mind the western half of Ahmedathat can focus on learning. bad, Gujarat a city of over In its wake, AP provides 10 million. “There were so jobs and supports the lomany complaints of bad cal farmers by buying food and service from the their produce in the areas government run program in it serves and trains other the city’s eastern side that it NGOs. The AP has a taxreached the ears of the Chief exempt status in India as Minister Narendra Modi well as in the UK and the who is known for his modUS ; although it’s overseas ern style of management.,” support only provides 6 continued Shah amusedly, to 7 per cent of its annual “Impressed, Modi asked funding requirements. The AP to take over that part of rest comes from corporate the city too!” partners in India and some As its reputation has government assistance. grown, so has the reach of Dr. K. T. Shah, the Akshaya “I tell you, the politicians the AP through funding from Patra Houston Chapter head love this program,” said the many Indian corporations spoke at the appreciation outspoken Shah to titters and philanthropists who dinner. from the audience. “They have contributed the money see how this can help them to help it build kitchens and get votes.” At present, the a fleet of trucks to transport state and central governthe hot food to the schools. ment fund a 50% of each AP has steadily grown to child’s daily meal cost of feed 1.2 million school kids 12 cents; the annual cost each day through its netper child being $28. The work of 30 huge kitchens new kitchen in Baroda was across the country, all locatfunded by 3 Indian corpoed within 45 minutes of the rations to the tune of over areas they serve for each of $1 million, including funds the 240 days of the school for food for 5 years. There year. Another 300 smaller is the need to fund a new kitchens serve clusters of large kitchen for Surat . village schools. Each large “My advice for those who kitchen and area is managed want to help is to visit a by a head Swami and 3 to 4 kitchen, sit down with the other devotees. kids and eat the food,” deC.C. Dasa, a former meclared Shah. chanical engineer, devised a Swami C. C. Dasa spoke with During the question and machine that enables each the invited guests about the answer session that came kitchen to make 40,000 work done by the Akshaya at the end, some wanted to chapattis each hour. With Patra at a function last know why the Indian peoan annual budget of $25 Saturday night at the VPSS. ple didn’t support the AP million, the AP employs Photos: Jawahar Malhotra program with donations. 3,500 people, yet keeps “I was surprised that such its administrative costs down to the single few Indians know about the AP’s program,” digits and operates as an independent trust said Shah, “but I tell the swami’s they are with a Board of Trustees. Its achievements too busy to spread the word!” he chided as have earned it a $50,000 award in 2009 Dasa grinned. “You know,” continued Shah, from Microsoft in its “Leveraging modern “you really get emotionally involved with technology to improve education” initia- this project.” tive. “We are moving toward a knowledge For more information, visit www.akshaybased economy,” said Dasa, “so we need an apatra.org or call Dr. K.T. Shah at 281-772educated population.” 4139 or email at ktshahmd@yahoo.com. A Which is the best result that the AP has fundraiser gala is planned for October 17 seen. Absenteeism in schools has dropped, with Narayan Murthy, the founder of Infosys parents look forward to and appreciate the as the keynote speaker.
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Indo American News • Friday, JUly 16 , 2010 • Online Edition: www.indoamerican-news.com
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