How do food NGOs help to implement the mid-day meal scheme?

 I recently visited a village with my family, where I came across a school, which is very different from a city school. I always wanted my daughter to get a sense of how different children across the country study and that village school solved my purpose. I believe it is important for young children to be aware and acknowledge how people from different strata of society go about their lives.

After taking permission from the officials present there, we began looking around the school. The principal went along with us and showed us the classrooms where children were reading textbooks or listening to their teachers. He also showed us the sports field where a few children were playing amongst each other. Soon after, during lunch time, children from the different classes gathered around as they waited for their meals. Once they were served, I saw that the meals included a serving of vegetables, rice, pulses and curd. I did know that these schools came under the purview of the mid-day meal but I was interested to know how it actually worked on a daily basis.

After lunchtime, I asked a teacher about how the scheme actually worked. She told us that a food NGO in india that was a few miles away sent the packed food every day, which was then served to the children during lunchtime by the teachers and other staff members. She also informed us that the NGO prepares the meals according to the nutrition requirements given by the government as per the age groups. The NGO also ensures that hygiene and safety standards are met through the food handling, cooking, and packaging processes. My daughter also got interested in seeing such a phenomenon and interacted with kids about the mid-day meals.

When we returned home, my husband and I started doing research on how we could contribute to improve the livelihood of these children. As we read more, we realised that childhood hunger is still a prevalent problem in our country. We wanted to be part of the solution that helps

these young children receive adequate nourishment in their formative years. It really touched us when we saw the children at the school get so excited about the food that we take for granted sometimes. So, we decided to donate a part of our savings from each month to food NGOs that help to implement the mid-day meal scheme.