National, 18th September 2024: The Sri Sathya Sai Annapoorna Trust, under the aegis of revered Global Humanitarian Sri Madhusudan Sai, has achieved an unprecedented feat by serving 10 million children across different parts of India, making it the world’s largest ‘Nutrition’ Programme. A part of Sri Madhusudan Sai’s worldwide mission of combating hidden hunger and enhancing nutritional intake among children, the flagship initiative covers students of government and government-aided schools at a pan-India level across both rural as well as urban regions. The announcement was made at the coveted ‘Power of Poshan’ Award ceremony, in the esteemed presence of international cricketing legend Jonty Rhodes, IIMR Director – Ms Tara Satyavathi, senior Karnataka IAS officer – Mr YS Patil and over 250 members from the farmers community, among others.
During the event, while defining the next milestone set for the Trust’s flagship ‘Nutrition’ mission, Sri Madhusudan Sai shared, “As we navigated the pandemic challenges, we remained steadfast in our commitment to ensure no child goes hungry. Before the pandemic, our Trust served 500,000 children daily. After schools reopened, we are now expanding our reach to 10 million children covering the school in Karnataka and Telangana. This nutrition programme is now implemented across 25 States and 4 UTs.”
“Holistic nutrition as opposed to just filling the stomach ought to be the approach and this is what the Annapoorna Morning Nutrition Programme is doing. The power of team work is something that I am very familiar with, by being in the game of cricket. I see that the scale that this nutrition programme has reached is backed by the wonderful team of this institution who are sitting under this beautiful auditorium roof today. Many congratulations!” stated Mr Jonty Rhodes during his address.
The event, hosted at the Sathya Sai Grama near Chikkaballapur in Karnataka, recognised the invaluable contributions of corporate partners, farmers, and key stakeholders, whose support has been instrumental in scaling up the nutrition programme. One of the vital aspects of the Trust’s programme is its strong collaboration with local farming communities. Partnering with nearly 1,000 farmers in Tumkur, Karnataka, the Trust procures 500 to 600 tons of millet grains monthly, not at the minimum support price but at the livelihood price, thus paying the farmers a gracious amount that they deserve. This sustainable relationship supports both rural livelihoods and the nutrition programme, promoting economic growth of the farmers and taking care of the nourishment and health of their own children and others who study at the government schools.
Notably, there is a nutraceutical manufacturing unit – SaiSure Nutritions LLP, based at their HeadQuarters to produce the vital multi and micronutrient supplement. This micro nutrient health mix is delivered to the government schools, across 25 States and 4 Union Territories. The State of Karnataka is the thriving ground for the programme, wherein approximately 5.5 million children, which is all the Government school-going children, have been covered for morning nutrition.
Under the visionary guidance of Sri Madhusudan Sai, the initiative has grown to become the world’s largest morning nutrition programme, transforming the lives of millions of children. As the programme continues to expand, the Trust’s mission remains unwavering: no child should go to school hungry ever. By investing in children’s health today, the Sri Sathya Sai Annapoorna Trust is building a foundation for reduced future healthcare costs and fostering a generation of healthy, responsible citizens.