2025 Bangalore Trip

Hey Futures,

The Feeding Futures Leadership team recently completed a service trip in Bangalore with the major objective of learning more about how Akshaya Patra (the charity we donate to) actually operates on a day-to-day basis. The first place that we began our learning from was the VK Hill Kitchen and as we entered the building, we could see that this was an amazing place to see how a large operation can run. In the kitchen, we saw numerous staff members performing their tasks at an incredibly high rate of efficiency and with exceptional speed in order to prepare the meals that were to be delivered to schools across the area.

We also conducted a walkthrough with staff members to see how their “Vertical Kitchen” came to life. A vertical kitchen is a compact, multi-level kitchen design that maximizes vertical space by stacking appliances, storage, and workstations. As many tons of rice were processed and prepared into meals every single day, we were able to witness the ability of engineers and those who operate kitchens to provide solutions to a multitude of societal issues. In addition, we learned that Akshaya Patra is opening several more kitchens across India in order to meet the meal requirements of many different government schools and each kitchen is preparing meals that will also fit into the regional tastes and dietary conditions of people from that area. As a result, millions of children across India receive meals that are something that they can relate to and feel comfortable eating and at the same time are meeting the minimum nutrition requirements that are necessary for a child's growth and development.

During our visit, we performed some simple tasks and observed how ingredients were treated as they were prepared and stored for the next meal that followed. We were also treated to a hearty lunch which showed us how delicious the meals the kids receive really are. We did not expect that a nutritious meal for a child could be produced at a cost of only eight rupees, and it made us appreciate the scale, planning, and dedication that sustain this program.

We hope to take you guys on this trip soon!