The Akshaya Patra Foundation has collaborated with FedEx Express, the world's largest express transportation company, to further its ‘Go Green Initiatives.’ FedEx Express has donated solar panels to Akshaya Patra’s kitchen in Panvel, Maharashtra, and electric bikes (e-bikes), at Bellary, Karnataka. Their support will help the Foundation generate 25 kW power, adopt an environment friendly mode of transportation and reduce its carbon footprint. The savings in transportation costs as a result of the adoption of the e-bikes as a replacement for fuel-powered vehicles will enable Akshaya Patra to provide meals to more than 2,800 children for an entire academic year.
Since 2000, Akshaya Patra has been serving hot, nutritious mid-day meals to children every school day. The Foundation is conscious of its responsibility towards the children and communities it serves, and its responsibility towards the planet. The organization has strived to reduce its carbon footprint by adopting various green initiatives, including the use of biogas plants to convert organic waste into energy which generates 120-150 cubic metres of biogas. These plants reduce the dependency on LPG while also producing organic manure, which is a more sustainable alternative to chemical fertilizers. The Foundation also has Effluent Treatment Plants (ETPs) to treat, dispose, and recycle kitchen waste and prevent environmental pollution.
Akshaya Patra kitchens has also installed solar panels that use photovoltaic (PV) cells to convert sunlight into electricity. The organisation has also added e-bikes to ensure sustainable practices to and from its kitchens to further reduce its carbon footprint. The solar panels in Panvel and e-bikes in Bellary donated by FedEx Express, will accelerate Akshaya Patra’s efforts to adopt green energy across its operations.
Suvendu Choudhury, Managing Director, International Operations for FedEx Express said, “At FedEx we are committed to connect the world responsibly and resourcefully, and we’re delighted to collaborate with Akshaya Patra to make a sustainable change in the way they work. As part of our FedEx Cares program, we’re working with communities across the globe to help them move people and goods more sustainably. The ` and solar panel contribution to Akshaya Patra will positively impact the environment, resulting in more meals for school children.”
Anant Arora, Chief Sustainability and Communication Officer, The Akshaya Patra Foundation lauded the partnership and said, “While we work towards our endeavour to erase childhood hunger and malnutrition at the grassroots level, we are also striving to fulfil another goal – to give back to the environment. FedEx Express efforts to encourage and support the Go-Green initiative by donating e-bikes to the School-Relationship officers and Solar Power Plant at Panvel are deeply appreciated. I am confident that this partnership will help us adopt more sustainable practices into our daily operations and ensure our carbon footprint gets smaller with time. We are deeply grateful for FedEx’s philanthropy as it will take us one step closer to our green goals. I also want to thank the Central Government and the Government of Karnataka for providing us this opportunity to serve children and communities during the pandemic, and supporting and encouraging our efforts all along.”
About The Akshaya Patra Foundation
The Akshaya Patra Foundation is a not-for-profit organization that strives to address classroom hunger and malnutrition in India. By implementing the Mid-Day Meal Scheme in Government and Government-aided schools, Akshaya Patra aims to fight hunger and, at the same time, bring children to school. Since 2000, Akshaya Patra has worked towards reaching out to children with wholesome food every single school day.
In partnership with the Government of India and various State Governments and with the inestimable support of many philanthropic donors and well-wishers, Akshaya Patra has grown from humble beginnings serving just 1,500 school children across five schools to becoming the world’s largest (not-for-profit run) mid-day meal program, serving wholesome food to over 1.8 million children from 19,039 schools [as of March 2020] across 14 states & 2 union Territories in India.
About FedEx Express
FedEx Express is the world’s largest express transportation company, providing fast and reliable delivery to more than 220 countries and territories. FedEx Express uses a global air and-ground network to speed delivery of time-sensitive shipments, by a definite time and date.
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