On mornings one student comes to school hungry, the thought of school makes her break down, she says.
“When I had to get on the bus, I would start crying,” says K. Suchitra, 13.
Suchitra is an unusually talented student, says her teacher, Sheelavati Shakti. She shows a strong aptitude for music and dance, and is strong academically.
But when she joined this school a year ago, Suchitra looked unhealthy, Shakti says. Her skin was discolored, but she didn’t have an infection; she was just malnourished.
Suchitra’s life has recently been turned around, however. An ambitious school lunch program now supplies kids at her middle school with a nutritious, freshly cooked meal. On days she comes to school hungry, she knows she can eat at school.
“Feeding a child is not charity,” says Shridhar Venkat, who directs the lunch program through the Akshaya Patra Foundation. He used to be a corporate executive. To him, a child like Suchitra is not a hungry 13-year-old girl in poverty. She’s an opportunity, and giving her lunch is an investment. Tomorrow, an educated Suchitra could produce a huge return on that investment to her community, he said. Read More
Dr. Jay’s Note: Awesome example of a holistic approach to life & living. This program works because of its knowledge that investing in people will benefit all of us in the future. When cooperation & compassion replaces competition & condemnation, humanity will begin to reach its potential.
