Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore (SP)                                     

Bangalore, Jul 9: Manipal Foundation has partnered with the Akshaya Patra Foundation for providing nutritious meals to 5000 deserving children studying in various schools in  and around the city.

Manipal Foundation managing trustee Dr Ramdas Pai handed over a cheque for Rs 60 lac to Akshaya Patra Foundation chairman Madhu Pandit Das on Tuesday July 8, 2008. This fund will be utilized by the Foundation to feed about 5,000 children studying in various schools located in the city and elsewhere in Dakshina Kannada district.

Expressing his gratefulness for this noble gesture, Madhu Pandit Das praised Manipal Foundation for having supported the Akshaya Patra initiatives to feed the school children. Akshaya Patra is indebted to Dr Ramdas Pai and his team for chosing to partner with Akshaya Patra for this noble cause. Manipal Foundation has been known for its charitable activities and has pioneered many charitable initiatives in the past, he said, exuding confidence that more charitable institutions will come forth to support the endeavours of Akshaya Patra, buoyed by the current gesutre of Manipal Foundation and help Akshaya Patra Foundation to achieve its vision of ensuring that 'no child in India will go hungry and hunger will not be an obstale for education'.

It may be added, that Akshaya Patra programme uses centralized, automated kitchens for cooking food, which is then distributed to schools through vehicles. These kitchens have the capacity to cook over a lac meals in less than five hours with least human intervention. The nutritional content, quality and hygiene are maintained at high level as per the recommendations of qualified nutritionists.