Blog Action Day and American Express Winner Akshaya Patra Foundation

Today, October 15th, is Blog Action Day, and as Aishwarya mentioned before, the theme this year happens to be “poverty” – a topic that TC-I touches on in all of its posts and through the belief that social innovation and social enterprises can contribute to alleviating poverty.

TC-I is rife with examples of how social enterprises work in action, and this week’s announcement from the Members Project American Express competition includes yet another success story from India. The Akshaya Patra Foundation was a finalist in the competition, receiving $100,000 towards its goal of feeding 1 million children daily.

The impact of the foundation is described:

For less than $30 a year, a child in India can receive a school lunch for the 220-day whole year. These programs have resulted in greater attendance, reduced drop out and truancy rates, and better cognitive development for children – often by 10-20%. It will also shield many children from the impact of these tough economic times and the rising cost of food around the world.

WIth organizations like this, large-scale solutions to lessen poverty are becoming more and more successful. TC-I encourages its readers to get involved with the issues surrounding poverty, both through Blog Action Day and in countless other ways.