Hare Krishna,
All Glories to Srila Prabhupad
Bill Clinton Visit to Akshayapatra Kitchen at Jaipur, Pls. find the photos & newspaper coverage.
1
JAIPUR, July 17, 2014
Updated: July 17, 2014 04:48 IST
Mid-day meal scheme amazes Bill Clinton
The HinduBill Clinton watches a cultural programme by school students during his visit to Akshaya Patra’s centralised kitchen near Jaipur on Wednesday. Photo: Rohit Jain Paras
Bill Clinton became a part the vast mid-day meal programme in Rajasthan on Wednesday by serving hot food to children in a government school — an experience that left a deep impression on the former President of the United States.
“Such a huge quantity of food prepared and served in efficient, healthy and sanitary manner is unbelievable,” Mr. Clinton said during his address to the students of a government Sanskrit school in Sanganer near Jaipur on Wednesday.
The Mid Day Meal Scheme is jointly run by Akshaya Patra, Deshpande Foundation and the Rajasthan government and feeds over a lakh children in about 1,500 schools, 15,000 infants in 298 anganwadi centres, and runs subsidised canteens for socially and economically backward sections of the society in Jaipur alone. The Clinton Foundation under the Clinton Global Initiative raises awareness and motivates business houses, corporates and other agencies to fund Akshaya Patra for running the Mid Day Meal Programme.
“This is the finest commitment made by the Clinton Foundation in its 10 years of existence. It is wonderful,” he said hoping that more business houses and organisations and agencies would participate in the programme.
He visited the centralised Akshaya Patra kitchen where the food is cooked and transported to schools, including Madrassas.
Mr. Clinton said Caterpillar Foundation had already announced a contribution of $2 million to run a similar kitchen in Lucknow to feed 100,000 students. It will be functional in two months.
There were some emotional moments as well when Mr. Clinton interacted with students and teachers. “Had it not been for the Mid Day Meal, my mother would have taken me out from school,” Monica, a student, told Mr. Clinton, who was moved on learning that Monica had not had any breakfast.““When Mr. Clinton left, he hugged Monica and told her to pursue her dream of being a lawn tennis player, leaving all of us emotional,” school principal Dr. Seema Parashar told The Hindu.
Over 1.3 million children in about 10,500 schools in 20 States are provided Mid Day Meal by Akshaya Patra and the expense on each student is $30 per year, which is shared between the State governments and Akshaya Patra.
2
Clinton visits kitchen run by NGO in Jaipur
— By Prakash Bhandari, July 17, 2014 12:18 am
Jaipur : Former United States President Bill Clinton on Wednesday visited a kitchen run by an NGO Akshaya Patra. Clinton evinced keen interest in the kitchen because his organisation Clinton Foundation helped Akshaya Patra get a donation of $2 million for various kitchens that Akshay Patra has set up in nine states of the country, of which Jaipur is also a part.
This donation was given by the earthmover giant Caterpillar of US at the initiative of Clinton Foundation.
Clinton saw the processing of food at the Akshyaya Patra state-of-the art kitchen, that feeds over 1.25 million school children, studying in 1100 government run schools as a mid-day meal programme in and around Rajasthan’s capital city of Jaipur. The kitchen prepares food not only for the school children, but also for the 20,000 Anganwadi workers and 4000 daily wage labourers at over 40 locations across the city.
Akshya Patra provides healthy food for a meager 5 rupees per person.
He was shown around the kitchen by Madhu Pandit Dasa, the chairman of the Akshaya Patra and by Gururaj Deshpande, the chief of the American chapter of Akshaya Patra. The US Akshyaya Patra raises $3 to 4 million annually to support the Akshaya Patra mid-day meal programme.
Akshaya Patra feeds over one million children daily across the country and it has its presence in nine states. The programme is a part of the Clinton Global Initiative “commitment to action” made by Akshaya Patra and Deshpande Foundation. The Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation, which was originally known as the William J. Clinton Foundation, is a non-profit foundation. Clad in a light cream coloured bush shirt and a cotton jean, Clinton also visited a Sanskrit school which is run by the government. He was greeted with dancing school children in colourful costume. Two whiz kids showed their skills in solving complex mathematical calculations in a few second to the great amazement of Clinton and large number of donors who are accompanying him in this trip to Asia pacific. Diya Kumari, the scion of the Jaipur royal family, who is now an MLA, joined Clinton as he served food to the school children.
Back in US because of the Clinton Foundation’s initiatives, 20,000 American schools are providing kids with healthy food choices in an effort to eradicate childhood obesity.
Prakash Bhandari
3
Advertisement
Clinton treats school kids at NGO kitchen in Jaipur
HT Correspondent, Hindustan Times Jaipur, July 17, 2014
First Published: 00:32 IST(17/7/2014) | Last Updated: 01:24 IST(17/7/2014)
Former US president Bill Clinton, who is on a two-day visit to Jaipur, showed up at the kitchen of Akshya Patra, an NGO run by Clinton Global Initiative (CGI), and served food to schoolchildren at a government school in Pratap Nagar.
Clinton was all praise for the way food was prepared and distributed at the NGO.
Former US President Bill Clinton serves food to students during a visit to Akshaya Patra kitchen in Jaipur. (PTI photo)
“This is the finest commitment ever made, where Akshya Patra is distributing food to 1.3 million children in 10,000 schools across 10 states,” said Clinton, while addressing the gathering at the government school. “By the year 2020, Akshya Patra aims to provide food to 5 million children,” he added.
Clinton, who is on his third visit to India, said he has learnt that Caterpillar Foundation has donated $2 million (`12 crore) to Akshya Patra for building a modern kitchen in Lucknow, which will get ready in two months and provide food to 1 lakh children.
The Akshya Patra kitchen at Jagatpura feeds 1.06 lakh children under the mid-day meal scheme in 1,493 government schools, including 61 madarsas, in Jaipur and nearby areas.
The kitchen has two automatic chapatti-making machines that can make 40,000 chapattis per hour. The machines make 2.5 lakh chapattis every day.
4
Former US President Bill Clinton serves midday meals to Jaipur students and announces $2million donation to NGO
PUBLISHED: 00:06 GMT, 17 July 2014 | UPDATED: 00:06 GMT, 17 July 2014
·
Wednesday was an extraordinary day for students at a Government Secondary Sanskrit School in Jaipur's Pratap Nagar locality, as they found former US president Bill Clinton serving them their midday meal.
Clinton, accompanied by a delegation including his associates in the Clinton Foundation that he heads, oversaw the Jaipur-based kitchen of Akshay Patra, an NGO that runs perhaps the largest network of kitchens in the world, providing free midday meals to over a million school children across India.
The kitchen in Jaipur feeds almost 1.5 lakh people every day, including 1.25 lakh school children studying in over 1,100 government schools in Jaipur district, as part of the midday meal scheme.
+1
Reaching out: Former US president Bill Clinton, along with Akshay Patra members, serves midday meals to students at a Government Secondary Sanskrit School in Jaipur's Pratap Nagar locality
It also provides food to about 20,000 Anganwadi workers and 4,000 daily wage labourers at over 40 locations across the city every evening, at a nominal price of Rs 5 per person.
Impressed by the NGO's work, Clinton announced a donation of $2million to the organisation.
Scion of the former princely state of Jaipur, and BJP legislator from Sawai Madhopur, Diya Kumari, was also present there as the state government's representative.
Clinton maintained that programmes like the one run by the NGO have been successful not only in encouraging poor parents to send their kids to schools, but also in solving the problem of hunger across the world.
He advised the students to set high dreams and work hard to realise them.
Building towards the 10th Annual Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) Annual Meeting this year, Clinton's visit was part of CGI Commitments to Action, originally made by Akshaya Patra and the Deshpande Foundation in 2007, which they later expanded in 2008 in partnership with the Government of India, said a spokesperson for the Clinton Foundation.
Clinton will also visit the Jabrouli village in Lucknow on Thursday, where the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) is advancing proper treatment of diarrhea.
His Lucknow plans also include hosting No Ceilings, a first in Asia and the first to be hosted by Clinton.
5
Thursday, July 17, 2014 | 10:26 AM IST
Bill Clinton serves food to schoolchildren in Jaipur
Clinton was impressed by the roti-making machines and was surprised that how food reaches on time in schools where mid-day meals are served
RELATED NEWS
Former US president Bill Clinton Wednesday visited a kitchen here run by an NGO to oversee a lunch programme that feeds over one million school children daily across India under the mid-day meal scheme.
The kitchen here is northern India's largest run by Akshaya Patra Foundation. It feeds almost 1.5 lakh people in Jaipur, including 1.25 lakh school children studying in 1,100 government schools in Jaipur district daily under the scheme.
Clinton, dressed in yellow half-sleeve shirt and khakhi colour trousers, was accorded a welcome by students of various schools holding flags of India and the US.
This was Clinton's third visit to Jaipur.
"Clinton visited the areas where rotis and curry were being cooked and the places where pulses were cleaned and stored. He also saw the rice cleaning machine and was really impressed by it," said Madhu Pandit Dasa, chairman of the Akshaya Patra Foundation.
He said Clinton was impressed by the roti-making machines and was surprised that how food reaches on time in all the schools where mid-day meals are served.
Akshaya Patra Foundation's kitchen in Jagatpura on the outskirts of Jaipur is fully mechanised and even rotis are cooked in two machines. Each of the machines is capable of producing 40,000 rotis in an hour.
Besides Jaipur, the foundation has similar kitchens in Nathdwara, Jodhpur and Baran in Rajasthan.
"We have 450 people, including dieticians, who prepare the menu for a month in advance. Based on requirements, vegetables, dal (lintels) and other things are purchased," R. Govinda Dasa, Jaipur unit president of the foundation, told IANS.
He said the food is prepared keeping in mind the calories, fats and protein requirement of a child and high standards of quality are maintained at every level.
Usually two rotis, a vegetable dish, dal and rice are provided to every child, and once a week a sweet dish is also given to the children.
The foundation also provides food to about 20,000 Anganwadi workers and 4,000 daily wage labourers at over 40 locations across the city every evening at a price of Rs.5 per person.
Later, Clinton visited Government Secondary Sanskrit School in Pratap Nagar area of the city. He interacted with school children and lauded the mid-day meal scheme which he said has helped in curbing dropout rates in schools.
Clinton said he was happy to observe the efficient and effective manner in which the food was prepared and distributed by the foundation.
Some of the school children welcomed Clinton by singing Rajasthan's folk song "Padharo Mhare Des" (Welcome to my state). The former president was seen smiling and shaking his head to the tune of the song.
Some of the children also demonstrated Vedic mathematics to Clinton.
The former US president along with other delegates, about 15, served food prepared at the foundation's kitchen to the school children.
Subash Saini, a student, was happy to see the former US president at his school. "Oh, it was really great. He visited our school and also served us food..it was amazing," Saini said.
6
Thursday 17 July 2014
News updated at 10:28 AM IST
Clinton impressed by Akshaya Patra
Jaipur, July 16, 2014, DHNS:
Former United States president Bill Clinton, on Wednesday visited the largest kitchen in north India run by Akshaya Patra Foundation and witnessed the lunch programme that feeds 1.25 lakh schoolchildren daily.
Clinton was accompanied by a delegation of 25 members when he visited the Akshaya Patra kitchen in Jaipur. He was given a warn and traditional welcome by students and trustees of the foundation. During his one-hour stay at the kitchen, Clinton was shown a live demonstration on how the NGO prepare two lakh chapatis, six ton of dal and steams five ton of rice in a duration of just three hours.
Clinton was highly amazed to see the functioning of a chapati making machine with a capacity to make 40,000 chapatis in an hour and the use of technology to cook huge quantity of food.
Later, he along with his delegation, left for a nearby government school located in Pratap Nagar locality. On reaching the school, Clinton joined the team of helpers who were serving food to the kids.
Clinton was accompanied by a delegation of 25 members when he visited the Akshaya Patra kitchen in Jaipur. He was given a warn and traditional welcome by students and trustees of the foundation. During his one-hour stay at the kitchen, Clinton was shown a live demonstration on how the NGO prepare two lakh chapatis, six ton of dal and steams five ton of rice in a duration of just three hours.
Clinton was highly amazed to see the functioning of a chapati making machine with a capacity to make 40,000 chapatis in an hour and the use of technology to cook huge quantity of food.
Later, he along with his delegation, left for a nearby government school located in Pratap Nagar locality. On reaching the school, Clinton joined the team of helpers who were serving food to the kids.
7
Bill Clinton serves rotis to students in Rajasthan
Rohit Parihar Jaipur, July 16, 2014 | UPDATED 16:13 IST
Former US president Bill Clinton on Wednesday was seen serving chapattis to students on a visit to a government school near Jaipur.
He is touring south Asia to oversee work of the Clinton Foundation.
The rotis were prepared by Akshay Patra Foundation, an NGO.
Clinton had also visited the kitchen run by the NGO in Jagatpura.
The kitchen feeds 1.5 lakh people every day, which includes 1.25 lakh students in 1,100 schools covered under the government's mid-day meal scheme.
Clinton, who has on international platforms appreciated the NGO's work, took keen interest in how food was cooked for quick distribution in schools.
Clinton later Madhyamik Sanskrit Vidyalaya,in Pratapnagar where he joined those serving lunch to the children. He also gave chapattis to a few students.
Later, the former US president enjoyed cultural programme presented by school students and smiled as he stood next to a dancing troupe.
Diya Kumari, the Jaipur princess and a BJP MLA from Swaimadhopur, accompanied Clinton at the school and also joined him in serving meals.
Earlier, Clinton told reporters that he appreciated the food cooked by Akshya Patra kitchen. He said he found it better than home-cooked meals. He called for similar efforts to feed the hungry across the world.
In the meantime, the stage on which mediapersons were standing collapsed and some suffered minor injuries.
This is Clinton's third visit to Jaipur. He first came here as president and later, on a personal visit when he also rode an elephant at the City Palace.
Cinton is also visiting a community centre and a school in Lucknow on July 17.
He is also scheduled to visit Vietnam, Indonesia and Australia.
8
Bill Clinton Visits Akshaya Patra Kitchen in Jaipur
Former President Bill Clinton at a school in Jaipur July 16. (Getty Images)
Posted: Wednesday, July 16, 2014 4:30 am
Jaipur: Former President Bill Clinton on Wednesday visited the kitchen run by the NGO Akshaya Patra, which provides mid-day meals to children at government schools.
Clinton and his delegation were warmly received by the members of the NGO at their kitchen at Jagatpura area here and later given a demonstration on how the food was prepared for thousands of school students.
He later visited a government school and interacted with the students, who gave a cultural presentation to welcome him. Clinton and his delegation, who arrived here Monday night, also served food to some schoolchildren.
Clinton is due to visit Lucknow before traveling to Vietnam, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and Australia to review Clinton Foundation projects. He is also due to address the 20th International AIDS Conference in Australia.
9
India
Bill Clinton visits school kitchen, serves food to students
PTI | Jul 16, 2014, 07.36 PM IST
JAIPUR: Former US President Bill Clinton on Wednesday served chapattis to children at a government school here after witnessing preparation of mid-day meals for thousands of students at the kitchen run by an NGO.
Clinton visited the kitchen of Akshya Patra Foundation in Jagatpura area where he saw how food was prepared with the use of technology for a large number of government school children as part of the mid-day meal programme.
The former US president, who arrived here on Monday night as part of his tour to Asia-Pacific region to oversee the work of Clinton Foundation, arrived at the NGO's facility with his 25-member delegation where he was received by the organisation's trustee members and some school students.
He then took nearly an hour-long trip around the kitchen to see how it caters to school students in and around Jaipur, during which he was briefed about the operation by the foundation's chairman Madhu Pandit Dasa.
Clinton seemed specially impressed by the functioning of a chapatti-making machine with a capacity to make 40,000 of such flat breads in an hour.
After the trip to the kitchen, he and his delegation headed to a government school in nearby Pratap Nagar area where he was welcomed by students and teachers with the popular Rajasthani song 'Padharo Mhare Des'.
A group of girls also gave cultural presentation on another popular Rajasthani folk song 'Ghoomar'.
A large numbers of students were seen queueing up to meet the former US President with some of them even managing to take his autograph and giving him hand-made gifts.
Addressing the school students, Clinton praised the work of Akshya Patra Foundation and said he expected the number of school children being fed by it across India to go up from present 1.3 million to 5 million in next few years.
"I want to thank all of the students and teachers for the warm welcome. This is a part of efforts that involves more than 10,000 schools in ten states in India and feeds 1.3 million people a year.
"This is a remarkable partnership between the government, private sector business community and non government organisation," he said.
Clinton and his delegation members also served mid-day meals to students.
The kitchen run by Akshya Patra Foundation is part of a programme that provides free mid-day meals to more than 1.3 million school children in over 10,500 government schools across India, with the goal of increasing school enrolment, attendance, and retention, as well as improving overall health in children.
Visibly impressed by the efforts to provide meals to thousands of students, Clinton said: "I want to emphasise on the midday meal programme which is part of our Clinton Global Initiative. We have business people all over the world supporting this initiative."
He also mentioned that food being served to students was clean and healthy and said that this helps in bringing down school drop-out rates.
"It is providing clean healthy food which tastes good," he said while speaking to reporters.
The former US President also referred to a donation of 2 million USD made to Akshya Patra by a US based company to set up a similar kitchen in Lucknow.
BJP MLA Diya Kumari, District Collector Krishna Kunal, DCP Amandeep Kapoor and others were present during the visit.
Clinton is scheduled to visit Lucknow tomorrow.
The former US president is also scheduled to travel to Vietnam, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and Australia to take stock of the work of Clinton Foundation and to deliver the keynote address at the International AIDS Conference in Melbourne.
Clinton visited the kitchen of Akshya Patra Foundation in Jagatpura area where he saw how food was prepared with the use of technology for a large number of government school children as part of the mid-day meal programme.
The former US president, who arrived here on Monday night as part of his tour to Asia-Pacific region to oversee the work of Clinton Foundation, arrived at the NGO's facility with his 25-member delegation where he was received by the organisation's trustee members and some school students.
He then took nearly an hour-long trip around the kitchen to see how it caters to school students in and around Jaipur, during which he was briefed about the operation by the foundation's chairman Madhu Pandit Dasa.
Clinton seemed specially impressed by the functioning of a chapatti-making machine with a capacity to make 40,000 of such flat breads in an hour.
After the trip to the kitchen, he and his delegation headed to a government school in nearby Pratap Nagar area where he was welcomed by students and teachers with the popular Rajasthani song 'Padharo Mhare Des'.
A group of girls also gave cultural presentation on another popular Rajasthani folk song 'Ghoomar'.
A large numbers of students were seen queueing up to meet the former US President with some of them even managing to take his autograph and giving him hand-made gifts.
Addressing the school students, Clinton praised the work of Akshya Patra Foundation and said he expected the number of school children being fed by it across India to go up from present 1.3 million to 5 million in next few years.
"I want to thank all of the students and teachers for the warm welcome. This is a part of efforts that involves more than 10,000 schools in ten states in India and feeds 1.3 million people a year.
"This is a remarkable partnership between the government, private sector business community and non government organisation," he said.
Clinton and his delegation members also served mid-day meals to students.
The kitchen run by Akshya Patra Foundation is part of a programme that provides free mid-day meals to more than 1.3 million school children in over 10,500 government schools across India, with the goal of increasing school enrolment, attendance, and retention, as well as improving overall health in children.
Visibly impressed by the efforts to provide meals to thousands of students, Clinton said: "I want to emphasise on the midday meal programme which is part of our Clinton Global Initiative. We have business people all over the world supporting this initiative."
He also mentioned that food being served to students was clean and healthy and said that this helps in bringing down school drop-out rates.
"It is providing clean healthy food which tastes good," he said while speaking to reporters.
The former US President also referred to a donation of 2 million USD made to Akshya Patra by a US based company to set up a similar kitchen in Lucknow.
BJP MLA Diya Kumari, District Collector Krishna Kunal, DCP Amandeep Kapoor and others were present during the visit.
Clinton is scheduled to visit Lucknow tomorrow.
The former US president is also scheduled to travel to Vietnam, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and Australia to take stock of the work of Clinton Foundation and to deliver the keynote address at the International AIDS Conference in Melbourne.
10
Thursday, July 17, 2014
Bill Clinton visits school kitchen, serves food to students
Last Updated: Wednesday, July 16, 2014, 19:25
Jaipur: Former US president Bill Clinton on Wednesday visited the kitchen run by an NGO which provides food to a large number of children at government schools as part of the mid-day meal scheme.
Bill Clinton and his delegation were warmly received by the members of the NGO 'Akshya Patra' at their kitchen at Jagatpura area here and later given a demonstration on how the food was prepared for thousands of school students.
Also See - IN PICS: Former US president Bill Clinton in India
Bill Clinton and his delegation were warmly received by the members of the NGO 'Akshya Patra' at their kitchen at Jagatpura area here and later given a demonstration on how the food was prepared for thousands of school students.
Also See - IN PICS: Former US president Bill Clinton in India
He later visited a government school and interacted with the students, who gave a cultural presentation to welcome him.
Bill Clinton and his delegation, which arrived here on Monday night, also served food to the school children.
Jaipur and Lucknow are on the itinerary for Clinton as part of a visit to the Asia/Pacific during which the former US president is also scheduled to travel to Vietnam, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and Australia to take stock of the work of the Clinton Foundation and deliver remarks at the 20th International AIDS Conference in Australia.
Bill Clinton and his delegation, which arrived here on Monday night, also served food to the school children.
Jaipur and Lucknow are on the itinerary for Clinton as part of a visit to the Asia/Pacific during which the former US president is also scheduled to travel to Vietnam, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and Australia to take stock of the work of the Clinton Foundation and deliver remarks at the 20th International AIDS Conference in Australia.
11
Former US President Bill Clinton during a visit to 'Akshaya Patra' kitchen in Jaipur on Wednesday. (Source: PTI)
12
Beta Jul 17 2014, 11:28 am
Former US president Bill Clinton serves mid-day meal to children on his trip to India
Jul 16, 9:44 pm
Jaipur, July 16 (ANI): Former United States (US) President Clinton visited a kitchen in Jaipur, which is part of a school lunch programme feeding over one million children daily across India.
He arrived in Rajasthan on Wednesday as part of his tour to the Asia/Pacific countries of Vietnam, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and Australia, to review the work of the Clinton Foundation.
Clinton visited a kitchen being run by the non-governmental organization Akshaya Patra where he also took a round inside the kitchen where meal for thousands of children was being cooked.
He then visited a school where he served the mid-day meal to the children, interacted with some of the students and praised the efforts of the organisation running the kitchen.
Clinton also announced that Caterpillar inc., an American machinery and engine corporation, had also come on board to provide a grant to Akshaya Patra for the mid-day meal scheme.
"This is a remarkable partnership between the government, the private sector - the business community, and this wonderful non-government organisation. I just learned that Caterpillar is going to give you two million dollars to feed another hundred thousand children in Lucknow," said Clinton.
Clinton spoke about his contribution to food schemes for students across the world and explained the importance of such meals in fuelling school enrolments and bettering the education system.
"In my last year as president, I secured 300 million dollars to give to 20 countries to provide meals to schools for children who would come. And I know what happened. Involvement goes up, drop-out goes down, learning improves," he said.
This was his third visit to the pink city where he first visited as the US President and later on re-visited as part of his Clinton foundation.
On the second day of his visit, Clinton will also visit a school and community centre in Lucknow ,which , through the Clinton Health Access Initiative, are providing health care training and information about using zinc and oral rehydration salts to treat diarrhea, as well as educating mothers through self-help groups and school children through classes on these lifesaving treatments.
After stepping down from office, Clinton has widely worked towards improving access to life saving medicines, addressing the growing concern of climate change among others, in the Asia/Pacific region.
Clinton also shared his joy at becoming a grandfather.
"I always hoped that I would become a grandfather and the men in my family normally don't live very long. So, I have been blessed by God to witness this event," he said.
Clinton will deliver remarks at the 20th International AIDS Conference in Australia. (ANI)
Thanks & Regards
Hare Krishna Movement Hyderabad
Hare Krishna Movement Hyderabad
+91-7386898991
+91-9347239792
Man mana bhava mad-bhakto
Mad-yaji mam namaskuru
Mam evaisyasi satyam te
Pratijane priyo si me
TRANSLATION
Always think of Me, become My devotee, worship Me and offer your homage unto Me. Thus you will come to Me without fail. I promise you this because you are My very dear friend. - Lord Krishna, Bhagavad Gita 18.
