IMPACT of providing Grocery Kits to Mid Day Meal Cooks in collaboration with RIST-PFC – Phase II – Andhra Pradesh

Annapoorna Trust in collaboration with ‘Rural India Supporting Trust’ (RIST) and ‘Partnerships For Change’ (PFC) has been reaching out to support the families of 15000 Government Mid Day Meal (MDM) cooks. 

As a part of this relief programme during Phase-II of the project, around 900 MDM cooks across various mandals in Prakasam, Nellore & Chittoor districts in Andhra Pradesh received 1 Month dry ration kits. Each kit consists of 10kg of rice, 2kg of wheat flour, 1 kg of toor dal, 1kg chana dal, 1 litre cooking oil, 2kg of sugar, 1kg of salt, vermicelli, chilli powder, jeera, mustard and turmeric.

Extended lockdown due to Covid has affected the economic conditions of people at large. People of all walks of life are struggling to lead a normal life. Economy may take 6 to 8 months to come back to normal conditions. Annapoorna Trust has come forward to the assistance of vulnerable population like those of mid-day meal cooks, helpers & set the stage for lasting recovery.

Details of the distribution is as below :

Event that took place at Chimakurthy mandal on 08th July was attended by Sri. Sudhakar – MLA of Chimakurthy, Sri. Buchepalli Shivaprasad Reddy – Ex MLA, Sri. Venkayamma – Darsi Mandal President, Sri. Santhosh Allath – Annapoorna National Co-ordinator & Sri. Surendra – Annapoorna Andhra Pradesh Coordinator along with all teachers & volunteers.

Sri. Buchepalli Shivaprasad Reddy spoke on the occasion, “Annapoorna Trust has been providing breakfast to school going children since the last three years to not only Chimakurthy mandal but also to many other mandals in Prakasam district & neighbouring areas. It is a known fact that the Government is facilitating the Mid-day meals program. However, breakfast is the first meal of the day which makes it even more important. Due to this pandemic which has swept all places, cooks were without any work since the last 1.5 years. They were not even offered menial jobs. In such a situation, we are appreciative of the fact that the Trust has come forward to help us at this juncture”. Finally, he conveyed to the people assembled, the several initiatives taken by Sri Sathya Sai Annapoorna Trust and its allied Trusts in the field of Education, Healthcare as well as Nutrition to children.

Headmasters Damodar of Mancha Kalapaadu school, Veera Reddy of Bandalamudi school & Das Naidu of Palem reminded themselves of having come to Muddenahalli in the year 2019 as part of Andhra Pradesh ministers’ delegation visit & teacher’s conference of which they had very fond memories.

Cook Venkayamma of Nippattlapalem highlighted the fact that for the last one year, she was out of job. She expressed her gratitude for having remembered them at this crucial time. She also mentioned that since the villagers were not used to wearing masks and the fact that they needed to come in search of a job with masks posed a problem to them.

At Kottapatnam school on 08th July, during the distribution event, dignitaries present were Fine arts state co-ordinator Sri. M Venkateshwara Reddy, Head Master Sri Raghava Rao, Sri. Santhosh Allath – Annapoorna National Co-ordinator & Sri. Surendra – Annapoorna Andhra Pradesh Coordinator.

Sri. Surendra spoke on the occasion, “Initially upon coming to know the underprivileged children living in poor conditions, we extended the breakfast programme to the schools around this region. Mid-day meal cooks are like mothers who serve the children at schools. The divine lord had now sent food as prasadam in the form of dry ration”.

MDM cook Keerthana expressed her gratitude to the trust for providing dry ration during these difficult times.

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On 09th July at TP Gudur mandal in Nellore district, distribution took place in the presence of Sri. C H Sudhir Reddy – TP Gudur mandal head, Smt. Hemalatha – MPDO, Smt. Ramadevi – Tahsildar, Smt. Subhadra Devi – Balabhavan Director & Sri. S Venugopal Reddy – MEO.

Sri. C H Sudhir Reddy was grateful for providing one-month dry ration to cooks at a time when there was no salary to be provided to them.

Sri. S Venugopal Reddy was thankful for having provided children with breakfast during pre-covid days & also for having covered all the MDM cooks across the mandal during this pandemic.

In Chinnacharakuru ZPHS school, Smt. Subhashini – Head cook conveyed her thoughts, “We were all facing a lot of difficulties due to delay in salary payments. We are very thankful to Sathya Sai Annapoorna Trust & RIST for having provided a one-month dry ration at this point in time. She even thanked on behalf of everybody for having even thought about them and the children”.

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On 10th July at Chandagiri mandal in Chittoor district, event of distribution of groceries was held in the presence of Sri. Mohith Reddy S/O Chevi Reddy (Current MLA), Smt. Radhamma – MEO, Smt. Hemamalini – MEO Tirupathi Rural, Sri. Babji Pakala – MEO of Pakala, Sri. Santhosh Allath – Annapoorna National Co-ordinator & Sri. Surendra – Annapoorna Andhra Pradesh Coordinator.

Sri. Mohith Reddy spoke on the occasion, “There are many Trusts who do service to Humanity in various capacities. But timing & need is of prime importance. We specially appreciate this service of Sathya Sai Annapoorna Trust & RIST for having provided food to the needy which is the need of the hour”.

Sri. Surendra said, “In Feb 2020, MLA Sri. Chevi Bhaskar Reddy had met Sadhguru Madhusudhan Sai & requested to get a breakfast programme started for children in his area. Sadhguru had then agreed to take up around 50,000 children in Chittoor district. Now due to the pandemic, cooks have been provided provisions”.

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Distribution programme took place in the presence of Sri. Bala Murali Krishna – Muncipal Chairman, Sri. Rama Dasa Nayak – MEO, Subramanyam – School teacher & Annapoorna volunteer in SNS school premises on 17th July at Markapur mandal Prakasam district.

Sri. Bala Murali Krishna spoke, “We are very happy to be part of this programme. Some of the mandals were identified in Phase I. Now everyone is being covered in Phase II. I express my delight for all the cooks being served”. Upon learning that breakfast has been provided to children in the district, he committed himself to be part of this activity going forward whenever possible.

Sri. Rama Dasa Nayak spoke, “It is noteworthy and appreciable that during this Covid pandemic situation, Annapoorna & RIST have come forward to help”. He also conveyed the audience about the breakfast initiatives taken by the Annapoorna Trust for 5 lakh children totally across 17 states & 3 Union territories in India.

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To know more about Annapoorna’s intervention and relief activities during the covid pandemic, glance through our content and newsletters at COVID-19 Support