Malnourished children are exposed to a higher risk of infection, ill-health and death mainly because of frequently consuming contaminated food and water, leading to growth failure which has an adverse effect on a child’s development and school performance. 

In developing countries, millions of children do not have access to sufficient resources to obtain appropriate foods for a nutritious diet and parents of these children do not have the appropriate knowledge of basic nutrition and care, mainly due to not having obtained a basic education themselves.

In countries like the UK, parents are constantly reminded that their children need to consume healthy, nutritional foods which provide a balanced diet.

The School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme (SFVS) in the UK helps children achieve at least five portions of fruit or vegetables every day.

• Children aged between four to six who attend a fully state-funded school are entitled to receive a free piece of fruit or vegetable every day
• This encourages healthy eating habits carried into later life
• School lunches must include at least one portion of fruit and one portion of vegetables every day

Through the school scheme, children and parents are made aware of the importance of consuming nutritional foods which becomes a normal habit followed through in a child’s home too.

However, in developing countries like Uganda especially in rural areas where children do not have access to clean and safe drinking water or one healthy meal a day because of poverty, consuming 5 portions of fruit or vegetables every day is out of reach. With no school meals, the children are forced to buy snacks such as crisps, sweets, biscuits and chocolates with whatever little money they have from their local cafeteria/shop or for children who cannot afford this they are left to survive on immature mangoes and sugarcane.

Promotion of nutritional health must become an integral part of education and health services, especially for infants, per-schoolers, school children and women in developing countries. Encouraging and providing access to nutritional foods creating a balanced diet will reduce risks of infection, illness and death in children leading to a positive growth in a child’s development. Kindly consider donating through our NUTRITIONAL NEEDS)FOOD program in-order to enable us fight malnutrition among our children./https://hopefororphansorg.com/shop/nutritional-needsfood/