Shillong, May 28: The North East Society for Agroecology Support (NESFAS) presented its work on enhancing children’s health through school meals that incorporate indigenous foods at the Rome Nutrition Week.
The event, organised by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) from May 25 to at the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) headquarters, allowed NESFAS to showcase its impactful initiatives led by Executive Director Pius Ranee and Founding Chairperson Phrang Roy.
NESFAS had undertaken an extensive research in collaboration with McGill University, Canada, and the National Institute of Nutrition, Hyderabad. The findings revealed alarming statistics, with 31 per cent of school children being undernourished and 57 per cent underweight.
Addressing these issues, NESFAS engaged local communities including parents and teachers to integrate locally sourced foods into mid-day meals. This initiative began in 2022, initially piloted in 11 schools and has now expanded to 26 schools, benefiting over 2,000 children.
A statement from NESFAS said during the session at Rome Nutrition Week, Ranee emphasised the collective efforts involved in the initiative’s success, notably the contributions of local farmers who have gained market opportunities by supplying fresh produce.
An inspiring aspect of this model includes parents donating homegrown vegetables to further support school meals. In addition, NESFAS is conducting nutritional analyses of indigenous wild edible plants, highlighting their potential to combat issues like anemia.
Ranee concluded with ambitions to scale up this initiative statewide through stronger collaborations with various stakeholders committed to improving children’s health and nutrition.
