Meet Shanta, an Akshaya Patra beneficiary and a standard IX student from Government School, Kodigehalli, Karnataka. A girl with a melodious voice and a passion for singing, Shanta comes from a family of five members.

Shanta's father works as a weekly wage earner to sustain their livelihood and is the only earning member of her family. Unfortunately, her elder sister had to discontinue education after completing Standard XII. Her younger brother is studying in Standard VII.

Despite of all the hardships in life, she sparks joy every day with her voice. She says, "Singing is not just a vocation, it is a soothing dream that I want to live with for the rest of my life."

Appreciating Akshaya Patra's school meals Shanta shared, how she has been relishing the mid-day meals since the day she entered the school.