IN India, countless children, both in bustling cities and remote villages, face a daily struggle for survival. These young souls battle not only for their lives but also for a chance at a healthy future. Sadly, even if they manage to surpass their challenging childhoods, the scars of malnutrition often haunt them for life. Their families, living on the fringes of society, frequently grapple with starvation. The problem of hunger and child malnutrition is a grim reality in several Indian states, posing a significant challenge.
According to UNICEF’s 2019 World’s Children Report, a staggering 69% of child deaths under the age of five in India can be attributed to malnutrition. Shockingly, every other child under the age of five experiences some form of malnutrition, ranging from mild to acute. Addressing this crisis requires concerted efforts on multiple fronts:
- Promote Proper Nutrition: Encouraging breastfeeding during the first six months of a child’s life is crucial, as it provides essential nutrients and builds a robust immune system. Afterwards, introducing a balanced diet rich in proteins, vitamins, and minerals is essential.
- Supplement Programs: In areas with limited access to nutritious food, supplement programs providing vital nutrients like iron, vitamin A, and zinc can bridge nutritional gaps and prevent malnutrition.
- Access to Clean Water and Sanitation: Ensuring access to clean drinking water and promoting good hygiene practices are vital to prevent diseases that can exacerbate malnutrition.
- Support from NGOs: Collaborating with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) specializing in child nutrition can have a significant impact. Many NGOs run programs providing malnourished children with food, nutrition education, and healthcare.
The efforts of central and state governments, such as mid-day meal programs were showing promise before the pandemic. Midday meals were the primary source of nutrition for many children, served at schools throughout the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS). Furthermore, NGOs like Annamrita, Akshay Patra, Turnstone Global, Isha Education, and Salaam Baalak Trust play a pivotal role in the fight against child malnutrition by providing mid-day meals and other forms of nutrition.
Despite these efforts, countless children continue to go to bed hungry, especially those from households reliant on daily wage work. Tragically, children die from diseases linked to malnutrition, while survivors often face poor overall development and learning outcomes. Malnutrition weakens their immune systems, rendering them vulnerable to infections, particularly during pandemics like COVID-19.
Food is a fundamental human right, yet millions of Indian children are deprived of it. The ongoing pandemic has exacerbated their precarious situations, affecting their health and overall development. NGOs are working tirelessly to distribute nutrition kits containing essential items like sprouts, pulses, health drinks, and fruits to underprivileged children nationwide. These nutritious provisions bolster their immune systems and reduce the risk of diseases. Donations, which cost as little as ₹1,000 per month, are urgently needed to help NGOs provide crucial aid to malnourished children.
Support Mission: Feed The Hungry
Mission: Feed The Hungry provides packed nutritious meals to poor children whose families cannot feed them everyday. These nutrition-packed meals help growing children receive the nutrition they need to grow into healthy young adults. When you support Mission: Feed The Hungry, you uplift these children’s lives. To support Mission: Feed The Hungry:
Support Mission: Feed The Hungry
–
Give’s mission is to “make giving bigger and better.” Give is the most trusted donation platform in India for fundraisers and crowdfunding campaigns. Through our technology solutions, we enable individuals and organisations to fundraise and donate to a cause, charity or NGO with trust and convenience. Give’s community of 2.7M+ individual donors and 300+ organisations supports 3,000+ verified nonprofits with 80G deduction and serves 15M+ people across India. Find a fundraiser today!
Give exists to alleviate poverty by enabling the world to give. Established in 2000, Give, together with its partners, is the largest and most trusted giving platform in India. Give enables individuals and organizations to raise and donate funds conveniently to any cause they care about, with offerings including crowdfunding, corporate giving, cause marketing, and philanthropy consulting. Give’s community of 2.6M+ donors supports 3,000+ verified nonprofits, serving 15M+ people across the country.
Discover more from
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.