Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. A nutritious breakfast provides an excellent start to the day. Studies have often linked eating breakfast to better health, including improved memory and concentration, lower levels of bad LDL cholesterol, and reduced risk of diabetes, heart disease, and obesity.

After a nutritious and filling breakfast in the morning, we feel energised throughout the day. But what if we skip breakfast? Missing this meal can lead to headaches, low blood sugar, weakness, and concentration problems.

Gland Pharma's Free Breakfast Programme

Gland Pharma Limited, a notable manufacturer of high-quality injectables, carries out its Corporate Social Responsibility through the Gland-Fosun Foundation. The company's 'Free Breakfast Programme' provides free breakfast and health support to underprivileged children in government schools and to expecting and nursing mothers in Anganwadi centres in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

Programme Details

The program commenced on 14th November 2019 (Children's Day). Initially, it served approximately 7,000 children and now benefits over 16,000 kids from 83 government schools, along with 350 beneficiaries from 10 Anganwadi centres in Hyderabad. Among these, 43 schools are in Hyderabad and 40 are in Visakhapatnam. The beneficiaries at these Anganwadi centres include preschool children aged 3-6 years, as well as pregnant and lactating mothers. The program provides a free breakfast to all of them.

The company provides funding assistance to the Akshaya Patra Foundation, a key partner in this initiative. The Foundation operates large community kitchens in Hyderabad and Visakhapatnam and uses specialised vehicles to deliver food in warm and hygienic conditions. They ensure that meals are provided on time each morning, allowing children to start their school day with a nutritious and satisfying breakfast.

Many students in government schools come from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, including children of construction workers, migrant labourers, and day labourers. Their parents often leave for work early in the morning, leaving the children without breakfast. As a result, these children sometimes attend school on an empty stomach. The breakfast program helps address this issue by providing a nutritious meal, giving students the energy they need to start their day and encouraging them to attend school. The program, along with the midday meal, supports their overall well-being and school attendance.

The children start their school day feeling positive and energized thanks to a warm, nutritious breakfast provided by the Akshaya Patra Foundation. The program offers a variety of appealing breakfast options, including idli-sambar-chutney, upma-chutney-pickle, khichdi, pongal-sambar, tomato rice-raita, pulihora-chutney, and bisibele bath.

During visits to schools to support midday meals, it was observed that many students were not receiving breakfast. This lack of a morning meal often left them feeling weak and low on energy. Providing a nutritious breakfast is crucial, especially for children, and it plays a significant role in ensuring they start their day well.

Nourishing The Future of India

The breakfast program has notably improved the children's overall health, cognitive abilities, and academic performance. It has also led to increased school attendance and a significant reduction in dropout rates.

As a result of the program's success, government schools have seen a rise in student numbers and are now seeking additional infrastructure to accommodate the growing enrollment. This reflects the positive impact of the program on both student attendance and academic performance.

Currently, the program serves over 16,500 students daily, depending on attendance.

During the COVID-19 lockdowns in 2020 and 2021, the program distributed 'Happiness Boxes' to these schools. These boxes included items to address nutritional, academic, and hygiene needs, such as rice, wheat, pulses, sugar, oil, biscuits, stationery, soaps, toothbrushes, and toothpaste. When schools in Telangana briefly reopened in early 2021, 'Sanitization Kits' were provided for student safety. These kits contained sanitizers, face masks, plastic water bottles, gloves, and caps.

In addition to these efforts, the program supports significant infrastructure improvements in government schools, including building additional classrooms, staff rooms, laboratories, dining halls, kitchens, storage areas, meeting spaces, restroom blocks, drinking water facilities, compound walls, and playgrounds. It also provides funding for 'Vidya Volunteer' teachers and non-teaching staff in schools facing staff shortages, and supplies essential furniture like coaching forums, chairs, desks, and dining tables.

Impact Created

The program began on 14th November 2019 (Children's Day) with approximately 7,000 children. It now serves over 16,000 children from 83 government schools, along with 350 beneficiaries from 10 Anganwadi centres in Hyderabad. Of these, 43 schools are in Hyderabad and 40 are in Visakhapatnam. The beneficiaries at the Anganwadi centres include preschool children aged 3-6 years, as well as pregnant and lactating mothers. The program provides a free breakfast to all of them.

The Akshaya Patra Foundation, Gland Pharma's implementing partner, manages a network of large kitchens in Hyderabad and Visakhapatnam. Many students in government schools come from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, including children of construction workers, migrant labourers, and other low-income families. Their parents often leave for work early in the morning, leaving the children without breakfast. This program helps address that gap by providing a nutritious breakfast, encouraging children to attend school and ensuring they start their day well-fed and energised.