Andras’ personal page

Sometimes our dreams are somehow destined to become reality. 

About 5 years ago, I was sitting on my couch surfing the impressive list of TV channels available to us here in Singapore. I came across a show on National Geographic, called Mega Kitchens. This title piqued my interest. I like cooking, I am used to working in large factory environments, I enjoy reading about how businesses solve logistics challenges. And I was really curious what a mega kitchen might be doing. 

So, in the subsequent 3 week period, I learnt about how food is catered to Singapore Airport, how the massive challenge of feeding passengers on Indian Railways is tackled, and, finally, how a non-profit organization called Akshaya Patra prepares a million meals a day for school children in India. 

As part of my pledge to spend a meaningful percentage of resources available to me to support various causes around diversity, inclusiveness and social responsibility, I have been thinking about how to broaden my reach from Singapore to other countries I am connected to. My work responsibilities cover the entire Asia Pacific region and I get to travel to several countries to conduct business and meet local teams. In a way, I see myself as a traveling ambassador, carrying and representing our human-first culture here at F5 and I feel compelled to embrace this responsibility at every possible moment. 

Thinking about all this and seeing the amazing work Akshaya Patra do, I decided to take action. I contacted my colleague, Balaji, in India and asked him if he had any way to organize a visit to an Akshaya Patra operation on one of my upcoming trips to India. To my delight, he replied immediately, letting me know that he indeed had an idea on how we can arrange a meeting with the organization and would prepare this for the earliest possible occasion. 

That was 5 years ago, early 2019, and, as we all know, COVID changed the entire world’s lives and plans soon after. Our great initiative to visit this amazing team fell through and may have been destined to remain only that: a great idea and dream that never went fulfilled. 

Fast forward to 2024; a regular Monday in the office around early March. As it happens, I am about 2 weeks aways from my first trip to India since COVID; full with excitement from planning a work packed trip of visiting 4 cities in 5 days and getting a chance to spend time in this amazing country again. We are on a staff call when a colleague breaks news about a work related topic quickly jolting my memories of 5 years ago back to life. The news is confidential, suffice to say the name of the Akshaya Patra organization gets mentioned. My brain springs into action: I will be in India soon, specifically Bangalore as my last stop on the journey. Could there be a new hope that I may be able to visit their operations and meet the team I learned to admire so much some 5 years ago through a TV show on a shining screen in Singapore? 

Thoughts and feelings quickly became actions and after some great support from colleagues and friends I had a confirmed appointment at Akshaya Patra’s VK Hill kitchen in Bangalore at 5 am on the last Saturday of my stay in India. Perfect! Things could not have worked out any better from a timing perspective!

5 am? Yes, very early! And considering the distances to cover in Indian mega-cities and potential traffic disruptions, this meant a very early morning for me. Wake up at 3.30 am(“who cares? It’s worth it!”), leave the hotel by 4 am. Reach the kitchen just before 5 am.  Of course this all made sense once our host explained to us that Saturdays are half days in schools, which means only one meal provided to students. Sort of a brunch which needs to be prepared early to reach all schools by a certain time. No problem! This is the chance of a lifetime! I can be there as early as needed to see how 60,000 (!) meals would be cooked that day and dispatched before 9 am to the network of schools covered by this particular kitchen. 

We reached the kitchen operation just before 5 am, realizing that we are late! As we found it, the team started around 3 am already, preparing ingredients for the day’s meal. By the time we arrived, the first batch of freshly cooked rice dishes were already getting loaded onto a seemingly endless line of trucks waiting for their specifically allocated containers and quantities of meals for their specific school route. 

We checked in, following a rigorous process of getting protective gear on, as well as getting an orientation by the head of operations to ensure our safety whilst maintaining the highest level of cleanliness and food safety this operation takes major pride in. 

Once we were done with formalities, we headed to the fourth floor of the building, to start our journey following the path of food ingredients becoming cooked meals in an so-called “gravity-fed” kitchen operation. Gravity-fed means that raw ingredients like grains and rice get stored in silos on the top floor, carefully portioned and sent down chutes for cleaning and pre-preparations on the floor below, before being directly poured through literal holes on the floor, falling straight into massive cauldrons on the main cooking floor. That floor is where most of the visible magic happens: rows of huge pressure cooking cauldrons, each having the capacity to cook meals enough for 1500 (!) students. All of this with the highest level of operational flow orchestration, keeping taste, quality control and operational safety as equally high priorities the team is not willing to compromise on. Most of the process flow and equipment is custom designed by the Akshaya Patra team, including a significant number of improvement ideas coming directly from the team on the floor. As I look at the faces of the 15 or so employees working in this area, I see happiness and joy in doing this truly meaningful job. Not surprising to hear from our hosts that most employees here have 10 year or longer tenure. It was heartening to hear that providing the best working conditions in the kitchen are of utmost importance. Nothing better to illustrate this then my surprise of feeling a constant flow of fresh air on my skin in certain areas of the floor: Direct air conditioning piped to each worker station! Amazing!

As we were standing there observing the orchestrated and careful movements of each team member, we were told that a batch cooking in one of the cauldrons is now ready and we shall have the opportunity to observe how it will be emptied into large carts, purely using gravity’s aid, and advanced down a chute in the corner, to the final stop of its journey inside the factory: the packing floor. 

We took a set of narrow stairs down to the packing area. The sight of rows and columns of glistening, silver metallic containers was overwhelming at first. How many might be stored here in this room alone? 500? 5000? The sight of such enormous amount of storage and shipping capacity was overwhelming at first. But of all places, this may have been the area for an average person to realize the amount of throughput this operation has. 

The prepared food came down its chute from above, flowing straight into such sterilized food containers. Once filled, lids were placed on them and they proceeded through a window in the outer wall, straight into the loading area, where the long line of trucks we first met at 5 am were still waiting for their turn to get loaded and depart to delight students in southern and easter Bangalore schools just a few hours later. 

How shall I even attempt to verbalize the impact of this experience on me? 

Is it the innovativeness of harnessing simple physical laws to master the control and efficiency of material flow that appeals to my sense of creativeness and seeing beauty in simplicity?

Is it the friendliness and can-do attitude of every team member I interacted with verbally or just by exchanging a bow or smile that appeals to my dreams of limitless diversity and inclusiveness in every human interaction? 

Is it the purpose and vision of this organization and its willingness to do whatever it takes to make the world a better place for everyone that’s just impossible to not be swept up by and wanting to be part of?  

I feel it is all of the above and more. I am now inevitably connected to this great cause, as an advocate, as a friend, a supporter, a believer. But even more, the boost of positivity, energy and hope I absorbed during this visit gives me strength to progress my own projects and causes to new heights and opportunities. 

A simple TV show on Nat Geo. A small twist of destiny. I have seen, I have learned, I have grown as a Man. Thank you Akshaya Patra!