Akshaya Patra Texas Cities Raise $950,000 with Tech for Change Gala

iNDICA NEWS BUREAU-

The Akshaya Patra Foundation has been holding a series of virtual galas in these past months to invite members to support the children who are in need, especially in these challenging times.

The recent Texas gala was hosted by the cities of Austin, Dallas and Houston and was held on Saturday, July 25 on the theme ‘Technology for Change’.

During this gala, the foundation was able to raise $950,000 for feeding midday meals to school children in India. The Texas gala was hosted by the cities of Austin, Dallas and Houston.

Many eminent personalities from around the world attended the event and supported the organization’s dual mission of addressing childhood hunger and promoting education for underserved children in India.

The evening was led in a conversation with Narayana Murthy, Chairman Emeritus of Infosys by Siva Sivaram, President of Western Digital. Mr. Sivaram was recently appointed Chairman of Akshaya Patra Foundation USA with Srivatsan Rajan, Partner at Bain & Company, as Vice Chairman.

Desh Deshpande will continue to serve on the board as Chairman Emeritus.

Mr. Murthy has always believed in giving as a way to live rather than only getting. During this event, he discussed how the value of giving is important for one’s personal success.

As he addressed the Indian diaspora in the U.S. and across the globe, he gave sound advice on how important it is to integrate into the country one immigrates to by embracing its values, laws, and civic responsibilities.

He also noted how technology can be a great liberalizer and creates extraordinary opportunities, something he himself has experienced firsthand.

As a long time Akshaya Patra supporter, Mr. Murthy stressed the importance of contributing, no matter how big or small, to bring a smile on a child’s face who otherwise would have slept hungry or skipped school.

His formula for success remains the same throughout his life: to be successful is to bring a smile onto another person’s face. Coming from a family of eleven children and growing up in a lower-middle-class family that survived on a high school teacher’s salary, Mr. Murthy fondly remembered special dinner guests in his home. His family would host a child from a lower economic status for dinner every night of the week. It was evident that Mr. Murthy’s passion for helping children started at a young age.

Along with insightful conversations between the two technology pioneers including an active audience who had the opportunity to ask questions, the evening consisted of a talented musical offering by Bombay Jayashri Ramnath, one of the best known Carnatic musicians today.

Established in 2000, Akshaya Patra is the largest NGO-run school meal program in the world, and serves 1.8 million children daily in over 19,257 schools through 55 kitchens in 12 states and two Union Territories in India. It costs only $20 to feed a child for an entire school year.

 

Related posts