With the aim of achieving 100 per cent literacy among school children, Bengaluru-based Akshaya Patra Foundation will soon provide mid-day meals to more than 35,000 students in Ranga Reddy district near Hyderabad.
The announcement was made on Wednesday by Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, Ltd. (BTMU), that has been working in partnership with the foundation.
According to a report in The Times of India, BTMU which is an entity of the Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG), has agreed to pledge Rs. 105.1 million to fund the construction of a new kitchen that is set to be completed by the next academic year (2017-18).
All government aided schools, Anganwadis across the district will be covered under the initiative.
Satya Gaura Chandra Dasa, President, Akshaya Patra, Telangana told TOI, "We are pleased to partner with MUFG in constructing this kitchen in Telangana. Such partnerships enable us to continue our work through our initiative to end classroom hunger".
"This is part of our commitment to the community to nurture the next generation. With proper nutrition, we hope the children will be able to enjoy a more conducive learning environment and not having to cope with hunger during school time", Ryoichi Shinke, Regional Executive of BTMU India told TOI.
The Akshaya Patra Foundation is a non-governmental organization that began in 2000. Today, it operates the world’s largest mid-day meal programme and supplies food to nearly 1.5 million school children across 10 states in India.