The Sri Sathya Sai Annapoorna Trust was set up in November 2015 after beginning its efforts in one school with 50 children. It now, provides nutritious, well-balanced breakfast to more than 1.2 million school-going children in rural India and disadvantaged sections of the society across 15,000+ government schools in 23 States and four Union Territories.
It also enables the holistic development of children by actively engaging with the school authorities and helping them integrate an ethos of academic as well as human excellence in the normal curriculum. The trust is a charitable trust headquartered in Muddenahalli, Chikkaballapur District of Karnataka, India and has active programs throughout India.
The Trust focuses on rural uplift and transformation by aligning its activities along the four pillars of Vidya (Educare), Vaidya (Healthcare), Vaari (Water) and Vidyuth (Clean Energy), leading to the development of the villages it serves as ideal and sustainable.
Annapoorna started operations in July 2012 by a few volunteers, and as the activities increased in scale and complexity, it has now blossomed into a platform for more than 650 volunteers to serve, besides thousands of teachers at the schools, who offer their services and collaborate with Annapoorna. Thanks to many caring individuals, like-minded institutional partners and government servants who have constantly supported this noble initiative, Annapoorna works closely with over 800 local vendors in a decentralized model, with customized menu to suit the regional palate, and standardized menu within a region to ensure quality. Apart from the breakfast programme, Annapoorna is also engaged in setting up RO drinking water plants, constructing toilet at village schools and conducting health screening of children.
At Annapoorna, we have always strived to nurture school-going children in rural India and the needy sections of the society, while catering to children’s academic, health, nutritional and emotional needs. The Annapoorna Breakfast Programme focuses on providing daily breakfast to needy school going children. The goal is simple: “Let no child go to school hungry ever!”
SAISURE MICRONUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
SaiSure is a unique and much-needed micronutrient supplement programme for pregnant women, toddlers and children offered free of cost.
Over 1.2 million school children attending typically rural government schools across 23 states and four Union Territories of India covering 15,000+ government schools are served this “SaiSure for children”. It is one of India’s most significant interventions in child nutrition security and “hidden hunger” management. Over 5,000 pregnant women are also provided “SaiSure for pregnant women” to ensure a healthy delivery. “SaiSure for Toddlers” will address the nutrition needs of babies between 6 months to 2 years.
On January 14th, 2023 the SaiSure Nutraceutical Facility was opened by Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai. This 6-floor state-of-the-art nutraceutical facility at its full capacity can produce 750 tons per month addressing the micronutrition needs of close to five million beneficiaries comprising government school children, toddlers, pregnant women and lactating mothers.
The urban-rural divide can affect access to nutraceutical facilities for growing children, adolescents, elders, pregnant women and lactating mothers. There are typically more healthcare resources and facilities in urban areas, including nutraceutical facilities. This can make it easier for urban children to receive the specialized
care they need for nutritional deficiencies or disorders. However, in rural areas, access to healthcare resources and facilities may be more limited. This can make it more difficult for rural children to receive the same level of care as their urban counterparts.
Additionally, rural areas often have a higher prevalence of poverty, which can lead to a higher incidence of malnutrition and other nutritional issues. Nutritional facilities in rural areas may have fewer resources and staff to meet the needs of the population. Additionally, there may be limited transportation options and a lack of accessibility to these facilities, making it difficult for families to access care, especially for nutraceutical facilities.
Overall, the urban-rural divide can create disparities in access to nutraceutical facilities for children, with rural children facing more challenges in receiving the specialized care they need for their nutritional needs. Setting up the “SaiSure Nutraceutical Facility” at Chikkaballapur would help us to reduce the urban-rural divide. The facility is planned to distribute health supplements by collaborating with various NGOs and Government organizations and making it available for retail purchase in rural areas.