MUFG pledges INR 105.1 million towards mid-day meal programme with Akshaya Patra Foundation

The donation will build kitchen that caters mid-day meals to over 35,000 children in Telangana

Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG)’s banking entity The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, Ltd. (BTMU), has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Akshaya Patra Foundation to build a full-fledged kitchen that will prepare and provide mid-day meals to school children in Narsingi, Hyderabad in the state of Telangana.

The Akshaya Patra Foundation is a registered non-profit organisation in India that aims to end classroom hunger among government school children and facilitate education. It provides meals to 1.5 million students daily.

Under this MoU, MUFG has pledged INR 105.1 million to fund the construction of a new centralised kitchen to cater to government schools in Ranga Reddy District, near Hyderabad, Telangana. The kitchen is expected to be completed in the next academic year (2017-18), and will be able to provide 35,000 meals daily to children in government-aided schools and Anganwadis (courtyard shelters) across the district. In addition, BTMU will also help to deliver and distribute mid-day meals to the schools.

Mr. Ryoichi Shinke, Regional Executive of BTMU India said, “It is our privilege to partner with the Akshaya Patra Foundation to work towards eradicating hunger among school children, many of whom rely on these mid-day meals to sustain them for the whole day. This is part of our commitment to the community to nurture the next generation. With proper nutrition, we hope the children will be able to enjoy a more conducive learning environment and not having to cope with hunger during school time.”

“This project also reflects our commitment to support the Government’s initiative to achieve a 100% literacy among school children.”

“The Akshaya Patra Foundation is pleased to partner with MUFG in constructing this kitchen in Telangana. This collaboration will add enormous impetus in our endeavour to feed 5 million children by 2020. Such partnerships enable us to continue our work through our initiative to end classroom hunger”, said Sri Satya Gaura Chandra Dasa, President, Akshaya Patra – Telangana.

The Akshaya Patra Foundation was awarded the Nikkei Asia Prize on 29 May 2016. The award recognises individuals and organisations for their outstanding contributions towards the development of Asia. The Foundation won in the Economic and Business Innovation category for supporting education by nourishing children, thus playing a pivotal role in the socio-economic development of the region.

MUFG’s group of companies including BTMU work closely with various community partners globally. In India, the group is very active with its community efforts in New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore and Neemrana where it operates. MUFG has adopted priority themes for its CSR initiatives and activities, amongst which are contribution to the society through promotion of education.