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| Leaders in Action |
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 As President of Akshaya Patra USA, Madhu Sridhar brings a commitment to her organization’s vision. With a work ethic rooted in action, she has been a leader in the non-profit sector for over twenty years. Among many qualities, she brings considerable experience to her role and genuine dedication to making progress for Akshaya Patra’s cause. The Foundation believes that the organization will grow substantially under her leadership.
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Where are you from originally?
I grew up in Calcutta and Delhi.
How has India changed since you left the country?
Last year, I went back to India after seventeen years. I was surprised by how different this new generation of Indians is from when I left Delhi as a college student.
Today, the upcoming generation in India is better informed about the outside world and willing to take more risks. Aspirations have risen not only because there is an exciting expansion of opportunities in India, but the success stories of NRIs abroad is also making this generation optimistic and more confident. When I was a college student, parents insisted their children to follow the traditional career paths of medicine, engineering, law and government jobs. Today, alternative professions like fashion designer, event manager, film maker, cricket player, television anchor or singer are also equally viable options and beginning to gain credibility amongst parents.
In addition, India today has a much stronger institutionalized democracy and a robust civil society. This is an enormous change from having grown up in a politically volatile place like Calcutta. Modern day India promotes good governance through institution-building support to electoral administration, legislature, judiciary, media and civil society, all of which have been instrumental in strengthening the largest thriving democracy in the world.
And of course, a plethora of new Indian airlines, the fixation with the latest cell phones, families owning multiple cars and satellite television sets, cybercafés, the influx of credit cards and malls, and the familiar fast food joints like McDonalds and Domino’s Pizza make sections of India virtually indistinguishable from the West.
Tell us about life before Akshaya Patra.
I have been very fortunate to be able to work on causes that interest me. Before joining Akshaya Patra, I served as the President of the League of Women Voters of Massachusetts, an organization that promotes active participation of citizens in government. Leading the organization at a time of momentous political decisions, declining political participation and a time marred with election debacles made my job challenging as well as exciting. I got involved with the League after I successfully led a $40 million campaign for the schools in my town only to find that I was unable to cast my own vote because I was not a citizen of this country. Working to give a voice to children was as important to me then as it is now. Equally important to me is citizen participation, including exercising your right to vote, to bring about the changes we so desire and for the health of our democracies. To that end, my League experience was a gratifying and fulfilling one.
After 9/11, I devoted my time to serve the board of American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), an organization that protects the rights and liberties of people in this country. My motivation for joining the board was in response to the discrimination and acts of violence committed against South Asians. I am currently serving as the commissioner for the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women to provide a permanent, effective voice for women across Massachusetts. I continue to serve on the boards of WGBH (a PBS affiliate), Chinmaya Maruti Mission and Andover Coalition for Education. Before joining the world of nonprofits, I worked as Director for the Actuarial Department for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Massachusetts, as a consultant for Peat Marwick & Mitchell and for New England Mutual Life Insurance Company.
Why is Akshaya Patra a unique organization?
Akshaya Patra is the largest NGO-run mid day school meal program in the world. Providing unlimited wholesome mid day meals to over 825,000 underserved children in 4500 government schools in 14 locations every day is a great success story of scale, efficiency and effectiveness. For many children, this is their only complete meal each day and it provides an incentive for them to come to school, stay in school and concentrate on learning.
What makes Akshaya Patra unique is that it is an eloquent demonstration of government, civil society and the private sector working in collaboration. The Akshaya Patra model is delivering solutions effectively using subsidies from the central and state governments along with support from corporations, philanthropists and individual donors to ensure that the next generation is healthy, educated and contributing positively and productively to society.
The Akshaya Patra kitchens are a spectacular feat of modern science. The latest kitchen in Hubli, Karnataka has been built to the ‘ISO 22000’ international food safety management standards. These technology-intensive kitchens can cook about 100,000 meals in less than five hours with least human intervention, sustained quality and at minimal cost.
A study conducted by A.C. Nielsen, an independent research firm, showed demonstrated positive impact in school attendance, retention, nutrition, and performance, especially among female students.
Akshaya Patra is a unique initiative because it can transform India through nationwide replication of its model. It has a scalable solution with a proven track record addressing two pressing challenges facing India: hunger and illiteracy among children, the most vulnerable segment of the society.
What do you like the most about non-profit work?
Nonprofit work allows you to become a powerful agent for change. It is a gratifying and rewarding experience to know that you, in some small way, are instrumental in creating a better tomorrow.
What I like most is the opportunity to contribute positively for a cause that I passionately believe in with equally enthusiastic and energetic group of likeminded people. The binding factor is the common purpose and the mission of the organization. I have been very impressed with organizations like the League and the ACLU, for example, which have been in existence for over 85 years precisely because of their ability to stand behind a common purpose irrespective of occasional differences on issues.
Nonprofit work also allows you to set in motion a turn of events that will solve a problem plaguing society, or to answer a call that you have felt inside you for some time. In my case, having been involved with main stream American organizations for the last 20 years, I was ready to put my energies towards a good cause for India. Akshaya Patra gave me an opportunity to fulfill that desire and return to my original passion for children and education.
Do you have any advice for people looking to work in the non-profit sphere?
Be sure you are passionate about the mission of the organization; acclaim should not be the motivating factor. Be prepared for a challenging ride, and expect both frustration and exhilaration. Be true to yourself and the cause you believe in.
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