Rally for hungry children
Wednesday, 10 June 2009
Some 20 million children go to school on an empty stomach every day, according to the World Food Programme (WFP) which, together with a media production house, brought out a rally to focus on the fact recently. The purpose, ostensibly, was to mobilize public opinion and inspire concerted action from all quarters to end child hunger. Worldwide, hunger-related child mortality is one in every six seconds, says WFP, and for Bangladesh it is two children every hour. Such disturbing data do not make news perhaps because here, the deaths are due more to 'persistent hunger,' not outright famine, and are, therefore, not considered spectacular enough.
The rally drew a number of luminaries who rightly swore to 'do everything possible to end hunger of our children,' and called upon the privileged sections as well as the non-government organizations (NGOs) in Bangladesh to complement the government's food-for-education programme. The latter, which was started some years ago, however, had more to do with drawing children to school than feeding them for their health and well being. As such, the whole spirit of the school feeding concept is missing in the food-for-education initiative. Then there are millions of more children outside schools who go hungry despite the much touted 'food security' of successive governments.
Bumper harvests notwithstanding, Bangladesh is one of the world's most poorly fed nations, on account of general ignorance and lack of purchasing power. Balanced diets, after all, mean much more than stores full of grain. It is a sad fact that other essentials like animal and fish proteins and pulses, and even most fruits and vegetables, have been rapidly going beyond the reach of the majority, thanks to the skewed priorities of the ruling classes. In the zeal for export-oriented enterprises, Bangladesh's policy makers hitherto have not been addressing the issue of the nation's dwindling diet. It has been getting poorer in terms of both quantity and quality of energy-yielding, body-building and protective foods, which together constitute a good balanced diet -- the greatest single factor in securing good health, starting from the mother's womb.
Of course, a low quality diet may keep children and adults alive, but enough good quality food must be consumed regularly in order to enjoy full health and realize the full potential of human beings, from the very beginning of life. So better feeding is the most promising, single strategy, to end hunger in children and improve the quality of poor nations handicapped by widespread ill-health and disease.
Decision-makers should seriously apply their minds to this aspect of nation building and think of sustainable ways of reclaiming and replenishing agricultural land, rivers and water bodies in order to produce essential food for home consumption, first and foremost, topping up deficits with timely imports that are accessible and affordable for all. Most people here can no longer afford the necessary protective foodstuffs, which, apart from leafy vegetables, include protein-rich milk and milk products, meat, fish and eggs. These are found to be less satisfying than carbohydrate foods. The reason is, a shortage of protective foods in the diet does not cause obvious hunger and, in the early stages, may not cause clear signs of illness, though it results in general tiredness and a lessened capacity for mental and physical activity.
Another indication of a poor diet is the fact that while children in well fed countries have been growing several inches taller than their parents over the past decades, in Bangladesh, they are growing shorter on average, not to forget the scores of deficiency diseases that come with micronutrient hunger. A development philosopher rightly warns, 'When a people's diet takes a vicious path of its own impoverishment, it causes a graver mischief than any act of cruelty inflicted by an alien power.' High time Bangladesh woke up to these dangers of unintelligent food policies. With just a little help, and awareness raising about what constitutes a balanced diet, people and their children could easily be brought back to good mental and physical health.
The rally drew a number of luminaries who rightly swore to 'do everything possible to end hunger of our children,' and called upon the privileged sections as well as the non-government organizations (NGOs) in Bangladesh to complement the government's food-for-education programme. The latter, which was started some years ago, however, had more to do with drawing children to school than feeding them for their health and well being. As such, the whole spirit of the school feeding concept is missing in the food-for-education initiative. Then there are millions of more children outside schools who go hungry despite the much touted 'food security' of successive governments.
Bumper harvests notwithstanding, Bangladesh is one of the world's most poorly fed nations, on account of general ignorance and lack of purchasing power. Balanced diets, after all, mean much more than stores full of grain. It is a sad fact that other essentials like animal and fish proteins and pulses, and even most fruits and vegetables, have been rapidly going beyond the reach of the majority, thanks to the skewed priorities of the ruling classes. In the zeal for export-oriented enterprises, Bangladesh's policy makers hitherto have not been addressing the issue of the nation's dwindling diet. It has been getting poorer in terms of both quantity and quality of energy-yielding, body-building and protective foods, which together constitute a good balanced diet -- the greatest single factor in securing good health, starting from the mother's womb.
Of course, a low quality diet may keep children and adults alive, but enough good quality food must be consumed regularly in order to enjoy full health and realize the full potential of human beings, from the very beginning of life. So better feeding is the most promising, single strategy, to end hunger in children and improve the quality of poor nations handicapped by widespread ill-health and disease.
Decision-makers should seriously apply their minds to this aspect of nation building and think of sustainable ways of reclaiming and replenishing agricultural land, rivers and water bodies in order to produce essential food for home consumption, first and foremost, topping up deficits with timely imports that are accessible and affordable for all. Most people here can no longer afford the necessary protective foodstuffs, which, apart from leafy vegetables, include protein-rich milk and milk products, meat, fish and eggs. These are found to be less satisfying than carbohydrate foods. The reason is, a shortage of protective foods in the diet does not cause obvious hunger and, in the early stages, may not cause clear signs of illness, though it results in general tiredness and a lessened capacity for mental and physical activity.
Another indication of a poor diet is the fact that while children in well fed countries have been growing several inches taller than their parents over the past decades, in Bangladesh, they are growing shorter on average, not to forget the scores of deficiency diseases that come with micronutrient hunger. A development philosopher rightly warns, 'When a people's diet takes a vicious path of its own impoverishment, it causes a graver mischief than any act of cruelty inflicted by an alien power.' High time Bangladesh woke up to these dangers of unintelligent food policies. With just a little help, and awareness raising about what constitutes a balanced diet, people and their children could easily be brought back to good mental and physical health.