Akshaya Patra-Contest

I too agree with you . There so many individuals and lesser known NGO's working for the real cuase . 

We should not discriminate something just because it has grown big.

One is free to try to bring smaller n.g.o.s to light. but there are many frauds too in the garb of fake n.g.o. banner filling their tummies by foreign aid.

When we go to buy a small thing , we look for its brand value, quality.  

we ought to have impartial attitude. 

I have nothing against ,so no impartiality.

My submission is that Akshaya patra needs no publicity but others do need who are to be encouraged. Secondly, I do not subscribe to writing about feeding the poor simply for contest sake. I would be interested  to know if they have really done their "bit" for them.

I don't se it is a contest in the first place. just a name given of contest.

just that my post is worthy of feeding 50 children, looks great.   

any one who gets the free tickets to Jaipur, will see the works done by them and surely be motivated from heart to  donate something 

Yes, the Madhurai man Narayanan Krishanan is the best example .He feeds the abandoned people on the streets of Madurai three times a day since June 2002, was on the top 10 CNN Heroes of 2010. He gives food for around 400 people thrice in a day.

Big hands to all these NGOs and the people like Narananan Krishnan. They are the real heroes.

Anyway I feel this contest is somewhat unique. I am not going through the marketing or publicity part, if our blog post can feed 50 childern then nothing wrong in writing a post.

Thanks for telling about Narayanan Krishanan . They are the real heroes.

@sujith, surely, works of hon. Narayan Krishnan is really superb. I m simply speechless.

Just wondering how does this work? I mean how does a blog post can feed 50 children? more clarity on this part would be appreciated.

there must be some tie-up at higher level, because this post writing will give publicity to the akshay patra as every blog has their daily visitors and on the whole if they get donations from 10 % of readers that would be hefty sum, and indiblogger community too will grow at a faster pace.

Yes Lakshmi.. even i would like a clarification.. 

my best guess is, upon successful promotion drive the trust must been promised a bigger donation based on the number of times people have blogged about it. this does happen in many cases as big money donors ask for conditions.. this may be one of them, not particularly blog posts, but may be in general promotion. 

 Promod, same time... almost same thoughts 

@hemal, telepathy

As a blogger, I wish to contribute back to Akshya Patra foundation themself, if at all, I win the prize money (should be equavent to Rs 1,00,000). Further, thought feeding 50 children for each valid post made me participate in this welfare activitity (Well, I do not want to call it as a 'contest').

yes Guha, i could reasonate with you. the reason i jumped to participate was after reading the line which said, for each valid post you submit, 50 children would be fed. that itself was the biggest driving force.

We should encourage the small NGOs no doubt. But if we can if feed 50 children by a single post, the n what's wrong in that?

The hygiene maintained by Akshay Patra really touched me! So if we have some trustworthy NGO then there is no need to hesitate to support them and their work. About Contest, i have mentioned this in my blog also that the biggest prize we already won is the chance to contribute in feeding 50 innocent children this joy is really a divine joy! The True worship of The God- The children.

@mohini ji, very generous and very true thoughts. and

btw. your post in hindi, was simply superb, adbhut lekhan,.

Nice thought Mohini... 

I agree that the biggest prize is already won by writing a post... so there is no contest at first place. the winner will get to see their work personally and this would only add more confidence into their operations and of course, assumingly, will write about the trip, the technology used there, again promoting their noble cause. 

@Pramodji, Thanks a lot (BTW y mohini JI? )! abt hindi post i can say that's just a mother's heart speaking (a natural feeling of a gal.) @ Hemalji, Thanks a lot! I would like to add one more important point here abt the centralized kitchens. I quote from the Akshaypatra.org-''Each centralized kitchen has the capacity to cook between 50 000 to 150 000 meals daily thus achieving economies of scale. Cooking takes place in mechanized, steam heated cauldrons custom built to reduce the cook to consume time.'' Thuis increases the hygiene and preserves the nutritonal values too. As this is done on a larage scale our smallest contribution wil also make a big diff. And abt small NGOs i think they shud unite, to achieve a big effect.

Hi Guys ,

I just submitted mine :

http://poorvishrivastav.blogspot.com/2010/12/akshaya-patra-bucket-full-of-food.html

I believe helping any cause which is helping someone is relevant so its okay if we write for anything as long as we know that there will be some positive out of it.

I din't want to just write an advert, so I just added it to a story I had in mind for a while.

[read it here : http://pennylessnick.co.cc/a-fuller-stomach-means-higher-spirits]

I don't care about the real intentions of these people who're doing this, they might be skimming a little cream of the top, for their own profit, after all they're investing a lot in all these advertising and marketing efforts. What matters to me is that they ARE doing it, while most of us are here doing just nothing. 

well said sir,.

S.R. Ayyangarji! Thanks a lot for provoking such an important discussion! 

I am not very upto date with current affairs. So, i was hearing about Akshaya Patra for the first time via IndiBlogger. It is really good to know that in India, engineering excellence is employed to cook food for millions at a go.

I have blogged about Akshaya Patra : http://anithawrites.blogspot.com/2010/12/christmas-carols-by-anitha-i-wanna-wish.html

Its funny how even in the space of NGO's people raise the hue and cry of "me too" , "me too" mentality. I have nothing against an NGO because its big or small but feel sad when people grudge against big NGO's getting a good share.  For them to become big, someone with enough vision or connections need to start it or they would be focussing on a area which needs most attention.

For example in developed countries like US, UK, Canada, focus is on providing equal right benefits to handicapped people. For that they have buses that lower boards to allow wheel chairs in, buses that can accomodate cycles etc. They can afford to focus on these areas as poverty is not a big thing there. As a result NGO's related to poverty are not going to get much there. But someone starts one for Alzheimers or old age people, they are going to be highly focussed. I hope you got the point.

My only belief is, if they are doing something really good which they can convince people with, they have more right to push for their publicity. End of the day each person will be biased with emotions to the kind of charity he/she likes most or believes needs more involvement by them. 

I have put my share for akshayapatra relating to my wastefulness in my childhood and it makes you realize how lucky I am.

http://www.chakkys.com/do_you_have_rs525

No more should India called as developing or a poor country. Look at the amounts disclosed in each of the scam. These are amount coming out as results of some investigation, however there might be 1000's are other scams which are hidden.  With all these money goes for development. India would be in top of LIST of developed nation

INDIA IS RICH, NORMAL CITIZEN'S ARE POOR...

@guha, india is larget buyer of gold in d world and think of the hobby of poorest to buy gold, seeing d population u can average out the gold in idia.

annually 775 ton gold comes to india.

hi

i have submitted mine : http://whizkid1991.blogspot.com/2010/12/akshaya-patra.html

when i think that my blog posts is going to serve lots of poor children, i feel enlightened...kudos to akshaya patra foundation

last date of submission not given, but winner will be decided on 15th jan.

Thanks Pramod...

Anybody else, any idea