Crisp school uniforms, new
compass boxes, polished shoes and packed school bags – it is time to welcome
these sights again, as rain-soaked days herald the start of a brand new school
year. After the lulls of the summer vacations, going back to school is a bittersweet
experience indeed. No longer is it possible to sleep late into the morning or
play and watch one’s favourite television programmes all day. It is now back to
the old familiar – school friends, classes, homework and the discipline of
following a schedule throughout the day.
The reopening of schools
also brings with it the most delightful hour in the bustle of school life – the
lunch break. This is the most anticipated time of the day, as growling stomachs
need to be silenced with a healthy, wholesome meal. Good nutrition is
imperative to the physical, mental and emotional development of children.
After all, who, be it adult or child, can think straight with hunger clawing at
their gut? Akshaya Patra Foundation, an NGO for children that provides mid-day
meals to 1.4 million kids across India, ensures that not only do children go
back to school, but they stay there too.
In a country like India
where hunger and malnutrition cripples the educational performance of children
and even leads them to desist from the pursuit of education, it is imperative
that an incentive like free mid-day meals be implemented. Education is the
magic spell that needs to be cast for empowering children and this can
only be done if, like their privileged counterparts, the socioeconomically
underprivileged too have a full stomach.
Don’t let food be a mere
thought for a child.
Your
contribution could help keep a kid in school. Donate to NGO now!
