Good health and good sense are two of life’s greatest blessings! A healthy body makes room for a healthy mind. Annapoorna Breakfast Programme (http://annapoorna.org.in) is another brand of benevolence that was constitutionalised by Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba in His current alacritous mission in the subtle form, spearheaded by Madhusudan Naidu (http://thestorydivine.com/about-madhusudan-naidu/) and Baba’s chosen devotees in the sphere of Health and Nutrition.
Annapoorna Breakfast Programme – ‘Let no child go to school hungry EVER!’ is a vision given by Baba Himself to his chosen communicator Madhusudan Naidu. And thus was born the Sri Sathya Sai Annapoorna Trust, a charitable Trust working for rural uplift and transformation in the disadvantaged sections of society through Nutrition, Health and Education, Water and Sanitation. This breakfast programme is a completely volunteer run programme consisting of volunteers from various walks of life including corporate professionals, doctors, entrepreneurs, students, house-holders.
The brains behind the execution of this programme, Madhusudan Naidu and a dear friend from old times, Anand Kadali in the year 2012, carefully studied the Global Nutrition Reports that read about the significant burden of malnutrition in India.
Baba, being the greatest philanthropist of our times, innerved Madhusudan Naidu, His exemplary instrument to identify the right resources to start breakfast service for needy school-going children in Government schools both in rural and urban India, completely free-of-cost. Anand Kadali, an abiding devotee of Baba for many years, a man of simple comportment with a large heart, knew that his life was incomplete without treading the path of selfless service laid out by his master, Sri Sathya Sai Baba. He was holding a run-of-the-mill job and the ups and downs of his life took him through a roller coaster ride. Nevertheless, the flame of his life’s purpose was burning bright. It was then that the Lord beckoned him through Madhusudan in the year 2011 for His mission and since then Anand’s life has assumed a new zing and zeal through this great service platform of Annapoorna.
This breakfast programme started in a very small scale at Doddabelle village near Bangalore as per Baba’s guidance given through Madhusudan Naidu. Anand had to travel 20 kms everyday along with a handful of dedicated volunteers to serve breakfast for the children there. It wasn’t a velvety ride for him. There were lot of challenges in terms of finances, human resources, time, energy which made the volunteers think, if this was just a flash in the pan project. But Baba constantly guided and encouraged Anand through Madhusudan Naidu, and the project gradually went more alive and kicking.
Since its inception in the year 2012 until now, 20 million breakfasts have been served to 110,000 children in 1500 Government schools across 16 States and 1 Union territory in India. 500 volunteers and 5000 support staff consider themselves propitious for this opportunity. Can you believe the way in which this project has take wings in just a span of six years? Lo, this is no miracle for those who understand that this Divine mission is a sequel to Baba’s Avatharhood in His physical plane, and now the only difference is about Baba using His able instrument, Madhusudan Naidu to convey what He wants, and hundreds of instruments like Anand Kadali, Sai Prasad Ivaturi and Sathyanarayana execute them with in spite of all the challenges. For those who do not understand this phenomenon, this shall still be taken with a grain of salt trying to spot the Achilles’ heel.
Baba further inspired the Annapoorna team through Madhusudan Naidu to conduct Health screening camps at Government schools in line with the guidelines of the United Nations and the specifications of the Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India. Divine Mother and Child Health Program (DMCHP), which is an initiative of Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Hospitals towards reducing maternal and child mortality by providing the required needs for pregnant mothers, is assisted by the Annapoorna team at various Primary Healthcare centres in Chikkaballapur district, Karnataka.
The Annapoorna mission has not left the zone of education untouched too. A first-of-its-kind initiative, Integrated Rural Development Programme with Nagarjuna College of Engineering and Technology to raise awareness among the youth population about the challenges in Rural India and make them contributors and not mere spectators, has been opened as a new chapter by the Annapoorna team. A one-year curriculum with three-hours theory and 20 hours practical has been formalized for 600 students in this college.
Around 40-50 needy children in the Government Schools have been provided with scholarship for education, and few of these children have been admitted into the Divine portals of some of the schools under Sri Sathya Sai Loka Seva Group of Institutions at completely no cost.
For a team that is always in the state of a get up and go attitude, further energised by Anand with the guidance of Baba through Madhusudan Naidu, additional service projects on Water and Sanitation only came as a hamper of excitement. Simple and cost-effective RO water plants, Bio-sand filters and smart cards were developed on a need-basis in the villages. 15 drinking water projects have been executed and 40,000 villagers have been blessed with access to clean and safe drinking water. In line with Swachh Bharath Abhiyan, 20 toilets have been constructed at some of the villages too.
The Annapoorna programme is already shored by more than 15 companies for the humanitarian work undertaken and they contribute in their own humane ways.
38% of children below five years in India are affected by ‘Stunting’ and 21% of children below five years in India are ‘Wasted’. 72% of infants have been identified as anaemic (Acc. to Global Nutrition Report 2017). And the above are just baby steps taken by the Annapoorna Team towards trekking the pinnacle and stretching the horizons to become the world’s largest Breakfast Programme and Ideal Village developers in the coming days.
This mission of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba in His subtle presence is no house of cards that can be shaken easily. It is a robust substratum built on the grounds of faith and cemented with the immortal values of selflessness, inclusion and expansion. Its grandeur will only grow leaps and bounds, beyond one’s imagination, and spread light and love to the entire world. One may argue denying this fact till the cows come home. But the cows will come home, one day! And until then, the glory of this burgeoning mission of Sai in His subtle form shall remain an inviolable truth!
Annapoorna Breakfast Programme – ‘Let no child go to school hungry EVER!’ is a vision given by Baba Himself to his chosen communicator Madhusudan Naidu. And thus was born the Sri Sathya Sai Annapoorna Trust, a charitable Trust working for rural uplift and transformation in the disadvantaged sections of society through Nutrition, Health and Education, Water and Sanitation. This breakfast programme is a completely volunteer run programme consisting of volunteers from various walks of life including corporate professionals, doctors, entrepreneurs, students, house-holders.
The brains behind the execution of this programme, Madhusudan Naidu and a dear friend from old times, Anand Kadali in the year 2012, carefully studied the Global Nutrition Reports that read about the significant burden of malnutrition in India.
 |
| Sri Madhusudan Naidu |
 |
| Sri Anand Kadali |
Since its inception in the year 2012 until now, 20 million breakfasts have been served to 110,000 children in 1500 Government schools across 16 States and 1 Union territory in India. 500 volunteers and 5000 support staff consider themselves propitious for this opportunity. Can you believe the way in which this project has take wings in just a span of six years? Lo, this is no miracle for those who understand that this Divine mission is a sequel to Baba’s Avatharhood in His physical plane, and now the only difference is about Baba using His able instrument, Madhusudan Naidu to convey what He wants, and hundreds of instruments like Anand Kadali, Sai Prasad Ivaturi and Sathyanarayana execute them with in spite of all the challenges. For those who do not understand this phenomenon, this shall still be taken with a grain of salt trying to spot the Achilles’ heel.
Baba further inspired the Annapoorna team through Madhusudan Naidu to conduct Health screening camps at Government schools in line with the guidelines of the United Nations and the specifications of the Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India. Divine Mother and Child Health Program (DMCHP), which is an initiative of Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Hospitals towards reducing maternal and child mortality by providing the required needs for pregnant mothers, is assisted by the Annapoorna team at various Primary Healthcare centres in Chikkaballapur district, Karnataka.
 |
| Sri Sathya Sai Annapoorna Trust awarded the “Best NGO in Eradicating Extreme Hunger” on the occasion of #NationalCSRSummit |
Around 40-50 needy children in the Government Schools have been provided with scholarship for education, and few of these children have been admitted into the Divine portals of some of the schools under Sri Sathya Sai Loka Seva Group of Institutions at completely no cost.
For a team that is always in the state of a get up and go attitude, further energised by Anand with the guidance of Baba through Madhusudan Naidu, additional service projects on Water and Sanitation only came as a hamper of excitement. Simple and cost-effective RO water plants, Bio-sand filters and smart cards were developed on a need-basis in the villages. 15 drinking water projects have been executed and 40,000 villagers have been blessed with access to clean and safe drinking water. In line with Swachh Bharath Abhiyan, 20 toilets have been constructed at some of the villages too.
The Annapoorna programme is already shored by more than 15 companies for the humanitarian work undertaken and they contribute in their own humane ways.
38% of children below five years in India are affected by ‘Stunting’ and 21% of children below five years in India are ‘Wasted’. 72% of infants have been identified as anaemic (Acc. to Global Nutrition Report 2017). And the above are just baby steps taken by the Annapoorna Team towards trekking the pinnacle and stretching the horizons to become the world’s largest Breakfast Programme and Ideal Village developers in the coming days.
 |
| During the Anniversary Celebrations of Sri Sathya Sai Annapoorna Breakfast Programme in the Divine Presence |
