MISSION AKSHAYRATH

Location: Dhanera and nearby 100 villages 
Duration: 16th January 2020 to 31st January 2022 and on-going basis till date

Beneficiaries: 1,32,000 People

Project cost: INR 13 lakh per year including vehicle (Approx) 

It is based on the principle of SAVE FOOD, RESPECT FOOD. We collect leftover food from 100 village’s social occasions and distribute the same in slum areas. We started AKSHAYARATH for the purpose of ensuring that the extra food on any such social occasion should reach the hungry person in time. During the 25 months, we have collected food from 264 social events and distributed it in the 22 slum areas, and prevented wastage of food which has fed approximately 1,32,000 people. In every small and big occasion, the prepared food is too much and it is wasted.

Since the cooking staff is in a hurry and the utensils have to be emptied, the food is often thrown away or buried by digging a pit. This can lead to the misuse of expensive food. And if the food thrown in the garbage is eaten by stray animals, they are likely to get various diseases. Young children at school who get their lunch often leave the food lying on the plate. Because they neither know the importance of food and nor receive instruction or training from family to respect food. So at school, at home, at religious and social occasions, the children are left to fend for themselves. And food is wasted. Meals that really should reach the needy are wasted on such big occasions.

Thus an estimated 35% of food is usually spoiled at weddings or social gatherings, or large religious events

Action: We have designed a vehicle called AkshayRath, which aims to collect food from social occasions and distribute it to needy slum dwellers. The vehicle we built to collect and deliver meals is full of equipment. There are a total of 12 big messes with a capacity of 70 kg of meals, along with plastic cans for filling water and buttermilk. Meals can be collected for approximately 1400 people at a time and delivered to the poor and slums to families. The vehicle is fitted with a sound system, announcement system to call slum area people at one common place, GPS system, camera system and LED lights to distribute food at night and all around.
A total of 4 people can sit inside this car and serve food. Necessary items for serving inside the vehicle and adequate lighting arrangements have been made. The cost of making this AkshayRath is approximately Rs. 5 lakhs and its maintenance cost will be Rs. 2.5 lakhs per annum with driver salary. We launched this vehicle in 16th January, 2020 and before lockdown – 22nd March, 2020 it has collected food for more than 78 occasions in just two and half months and delivered it to needy families. We visited a total of 23 government schools in two and a half months with the AkshayRath vehicle. And in it all the children together swore that we will not waste food on our plate and will respect food because many people in India die due to lack of food or due to inadequate food. They will take care of this at home and at social occasions and also give them an understanding not to do it if any food spoils around them.
All the children registered the helpline number of the AkshayRath vehicle and they will call AkshayRath if the food is more at home and on social occasions so no food will be spoiled and it will be distributed to the needy area

Eradicating poverty, hunger and malnutrition, promoting health care which includes sanitation and preventive health care, contribution to the Swachh Bharat Kosha set-up by the Central Government for the promotion of sanitation and making available safe drinking water.

Impact: We launched this vehicle in 16th January, 2020 and before lockdown – 22nd March, 2020 it has collected food for more than 78 occasions in just two and half months and delivered it to needy families.
We visited a total of 23 government schools in two and a half months with the AkshayRath vehicle. And in it all the around 12,000 students together swore that we will not waste food on our plate and will respect food
Which has saved the food for those poor families; their main fuel like wood, LPG has been saved. So that our natural resources are protected.
And poor families don’t have to make dinner that day.