The Akshaya Patra Foundation appointed Chef Ramasamy Selvaraju of Vivanta by Taj, Bengaluru as its Goodwill Ambassador. Chef Selvaraju will support the Foundation’s efforts to explore avenues beyond the meal programme to enhance the lives of beneficiary children across the country.A celebrated name in the culinary world, Chef Selvaraju has won awards and recognition for his innovations all over the world in a career spanning over two decades. In 2012-13, the Former President of India, Hon’ble Shri. Pranab Mukherjee presented him the title of ‘Best Chef in the Five Star’ category at the National Tourism Awards. He has also won the coveted International Black Box Culinary Award Australia.Chef Selvaraju has been closely associated with Akshaya Patra since the inception of ‘Giving Every Dream a Chance’ - the Foundation’s mentorship initiative for beneficiary children. In 2015, the pilot year of the initiative, 14-year-old Shekhar got a chance to hone his culinary skills under his watchful eyes. In the second instalment of the initiative, he mentored enthusias tic six children from GHPS Peenya in Bengaluru. The Foundation is truly grateful to Chef Selvaraju for his continued support and is hopeful that the association will only flourish with time.Chef Ramasamy Selvaraju said, “It has been a proud moment to be associated with Akshaya Patra. It gives me an opportunity to support children in the pursuit of their dreams. This occasion is just a step forward towards the larger goal; there are millions of dreams that need a chance.”
About The Akshaya Patra Foundation
The Akshaya Patra Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation headquartered in Bengaluru, India, which strives to address issues like hunger and malnutrition in the country. 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 on every single school day. The Foundation is continuously leveraging technology to cater to millions of children. Its state-of-the-art kitchens have become a subject of study and attract curious visitors from around the world.In partnership with the Government of India and various State Governments, and 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. Today, it is the world’s largest (not-for-profit run) mid-day meal programme, serving wholesome food to over 1.7 million children from 14,264 schools across 12 states in India.