AKSHAYA PATRA HOSTS FOOD FOR EDUCATION BENEFIT EVENTAuthor : Piyali Dutta
AKSHAYA PATRA HOSTS FOOD FOR EDUCATION BENEFIT EVENT
KEYNOTE SPEAKER-AMBASSADOR HARDEEP SINGH PURI
GUEST OF HONOR-GURURAJ “DESH” DESHPANDE
Boston, MA-The Akshaya Patra Foundation, one of the world’s largest NGO run mid day school meal program, is hosting its annual benefit event in Phoenix on Saturday February 11, 2012. Ambassador Hardeep Singh Puri, Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations, will be the keynote speaker at the event being held at the Indo-American Cultural and Religious Center in Phoenix. Dr. Desh Deshpande, a successful serial entrepreneur, a philanthropist and the chairman of the Akshaya Patra USA Board will be the Guest of Honor.
Launched modestly in 2000 to feed 1500 children in five schools, the Akshaya Patra program now feeds 1.3 million children DAILY in over 9,000 schools through 21 kitchens in ten states in India. The meal serves as an incentive for children to come to school and provides them with the necessary nutrients they need to focus on learning. For many children this is their only complete meal for the day.
The Food for Education Benefit event, organized by the local chairs Drs. Jagdish and Dipti Patel will raise funds for Akshaya Patra’s unique and innovative program for fighting hunger and promoting education simultaneously for children in India. "It is a privilege for the entire Indian community to welcome Ambassador Hardeep Singh Puri to Phoenix. This is a unique opportunity for us to honor and celebrate an illustrious career dedicated to serving India and protecting our global interests,” said Dr. Jagdish Patel.
The Ambassador’s extended career spanning over 37 years includes his extensive experience in multilateral diplomacy. He helped India get elected as a non-permanent member to the UN Security Council in October 2010 after a gap of 19 years. India secured an emphatic win, with 187 of the 191 member states in the General Assembly backing its candidature.
The Akshaya Patra Foundation, a public-private partnership, combines good management, innovative technology and smart engineering to deliver school lunch at a fraction of the cost of similar programs in other parts of the world. It costs Akshaya Patra $15 to feed a child for an entire year.
"By attending and supporting this worthy cause, the Phoenix community will greatly enhance the significance of our collective challenge to provide the poor and the less fortunate equitable access to food, education, jobs and healthcare and harness the wealth of human potential," said Madhu Sridhar, President and CEO of Akshaya Patra USA.
For more information about this event or to purchase tickets please contact Piyali Dutta at 781-438-3090 ext. 5, email [email protected], or visit http://www.foodforeducation.org/node/add/buyticket?id=2697