Nutrition is Necessary!

Here is an example of how nutrition can impact a child’s health, and in this case, their likeliness for getting an education! Remember, issues relating to children is global!

            Tragedy struck the state of Bihar, India on Tuesday. Twenty-one students were killed from contaminated lunches that the state provided (The New York Times has an article). The school lunches had an organophosphate in them that is commonly found in insecticides which are extremely toxic to humans. Protestors in the local community are rioting, blaming officials, and calling for changes in government. Police are currently investigating whether the incident was an accident or purposeful, but there is a theory that the vegetables were not washed properly. Either way, the incident may cause extreme problems for India because the program that provides meals for children during school, feeds over 120 million children a year. The fear is that the same negligence is occurring in the lunches all over India and that similar occurrences will begin to arise.

            Despite the occurrences of the past week, the school lunch program is still one that is vital to many countries survival. There has always been a strong positive correlation between schools providing meals and school attendance. What does this mean? The implication is that if a school provides meals, such as breakfast and lunch, then there will be a rise in attendance at the school. This is an idea that is widely recognized and implemented worldwide because it helps children in a multitude of ways, including getting proper nutrition to otherwise hungry children; teaching children about how to take care of their bodies; as well as the opportunity to give children a general education, and more. Organizations around the world have work to give free meals to children in low-income communities. For example, the World Food Program (WFP) provides food in schools for “20 million children in 70 of the world’s poorest countries.” According to the WFP, one in every four children suffers from malnourishment. So the services that many of these companies, countries, and schools provide are really saving lives.