From Tea Gardens to Classrooms: How Annapoorna Trust Is Bringing Morning Nutrition to Assam
Our Morning Nutrition Programme in Assam gives children in government schools a fortified millet drink every morning. We run it with the Government of Assam, and it began as a pilot on 9 January 2025. The drink is SaiSure Ragi with jaggery.
Why Assam needs morning nutrition
Malnutrition and anaemia are particularly prevalent in Assam, especially among children from rural and tea-estate regions. We also work against “hidden hunger”, a shortage of micronutrients that affects health and learning even when children are eating.
How the Morning Nutrition Programme in Assam began (9 January 2025)
We launched the programme at Amchong Tea Estate Model School, Digaru, Kamrup, as a pilot with the Assam Samagra Shiksha Mission. It aimed to reach 4.25 lakh schoolchildren across 34 districts. The Education Minister, Shri Ranoj Pegu, joined online and said the programme would be taken to tribal and backward areas. Dr. Om Prakash, Director of Samagra Shiksha Mission, attended.
Statewide launch, 15 February 2025
The statewide launch of the Morning Nutrition Programme in Assam followed about five weeks later. Chief Minister Shri Himanta Biswa Sarma and our Founder and Chairman, Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai, led it and discussed extending the programme to all 35 lakh government school children in Assam. The Chief Minister and the Education Minister both tasted the drink
What is in the SaiSure drink
- We make the drink with 10 grams of SaiSure Ragi and 10 grams of jaggery, which makes 250 ml, enough for two children.
- The pilot under PM POSHAN focused on government schools in tea-garden and SC/ST-dominated areas.
- SaiSure meets about 50% of the recommended daily allowance of most micronutrients, and we offer it free of cost.
- Children receive it in the morning when they arrive at school.
A 50:50 government–NGO model
The Morning Nutrition Programme in Assam runs on an equal contribution model between the Assam government and our Trust, backed by a signed MoU. We see it as a 50:50 public–NGO model that can be scaled further.
Morning Nutrition Programme in Assam: the numbers
- 4.25 lakh children, 34 districts: the pilot target.
- 35 lakh children: the plan for all government school children in the state.
- 11.75 lakh children and about 17,000 schools: our brochure lists Assam at these figures.
- Across India: over 1 crore children in 25 states and 4 Union Territories.
We have grown well beyond the pilot, and we are now at about a third of the 35 lakh goal.
Assam in our North-East expansion
Before Assam, our initiatives were already running in Tripura, Sikkim, Nagaland and Mizoram. Our aim is to reach all seven North-Eastern “Seven Sister” states.
What next
Our next task in the Morning Nutrition Programme in Assam is to close the gap between 11.75 lakh children and the 35 lakh target, and to reach the tribal and backward areas the Education Minister spoke about. Join us in making sure no child in Assam goes to school hungry, ever.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Morning Nutrition Programme in Assam?
Children in Assam’s government schools receive a fortified millet drink, SaiSure Ragi with jaggery, each morning. We run it with the Government of Assam.
When did the Morning Nutrition Programme in Assam start?
The pilot launched on 9 January 2025 at Amchong Tea Estate Model School, Digaru, Kamrup. The statewide launch followed on 15 February 2025.
How many children does it cover?
The pilot targeted 4.25 lakh children in 34 districts. Our brochure, updated August 2026, lists 11.75 lakh children.
What do children receive?
A drink made from 10 grams of SaiSure Ragi and 10 grams of jaggery, making about 250 ml, which serves two children.
Who funds it?
The Assam government and our Trust share the cost equally under a signed MoU.
