Happy Mother’s Day!  In India, food has always played a strong role in maintaining family bonds.  The importance of a home cooked meal, despite the convenience of take-out, is noteworthy as it contributes to the emphasis placed on ‘family’ in the Indian culture.  Be it a secret family recipe passed down from one generation to another or the social & emotional bonds that are created between children and their mothers as they sprinkle a little extra masala in their homemade curry, the custom of eating together and the importance of food strengthening the family unit still prevails to this day.  And who has historically been responsible for preparing meals for the family?  Mothers! 

Mothers have always expressed their love through food.   

That is why, this year, it is important we show our mothers how special they are and express our gratitude for everything they have done for us.  

Akshaya Patra Foundation USA celebrates, honors and appreciates mothers all across the world who have nurtured us, raised us, given us unconditional love and made sacrifices for us to be the best we can be.  According to an African proverb, “If you educate a man, you educate an individual. But if you educate a woman, you educate a nation.”  This proverb couldn’t be more true and effectively encapsulates one of the basic tenets of our program – female empowerment.

Women Hired in our Kitchens are Empowered to Become Leaders

Women come to work after sunrise and leave before sunset to ensure their safety. 
Our operational structures ensure that women are able to make their mark in the workforce by providing appropriate terms of employment. 

In several instances, the mothers of our beneficiaries are also employed by our organization.
Decentralized kitchens exist in locations where rough geographical terrain makes it difficult to set up a large, centralized kitchen.  These kitchens are run by female Self-Help Groups who are trained in Akshaya Patra best practices and are monitored by our employees to ensure that they adhere to the stringent and high-quality standards we expect in our kitchens.  These kitchens give women in rural areas the opportunity to become independent, providing them with a sustainable source of income.

So this Mother’s Day, give your mom something unique. Give her the gift of providing a warm, nutritious meal to a deserving child in India every day of the school year!  It costs only $20. So, on behalf of mom, please visit https://apusa.givingfuel.com/mothers-day-2022 to donate today!