As part of Bloggers Social Responsibility, I am taking part in the initiative #BlogToFeedAChild with Akshaya Patra and BlogAdda. I tag myself to Dr Roshan Radhakrishnan’s post (http://www.godyears.net/2014/11/tag-5-bloggers-ask-their-opinions-and.html). Moreover, I was tagged by Shilpa Garg of (http://shilpaagarg.com/2014/11/eliminate-classroom-hunger.html) on Facebook.
For every post on #BlogToFeedAChild , Blogadda will sponsor meals for an Akshaya Patra beneficiary for an entire year, as a part of our Bloggers Social Responsibility. I choose to ‘break from my blog break’ for this powerful initiative.
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#BlogToFeedAChild / Beating Classroom Hunger
“Seth! Aap to hamesha Bakshish dete hain,” the 7-year-olds twin sisters, almost jumped with joy on seeing me one evening at Marine Drive. It was scorching hot one afternoon and I again saw my cute friends, doing a somersault opposite the sea under the shade of the tree near Baskin Robbins.
I called out to them, “Bachelog, Vada Pav aur kela khaoge.” The hungry stomachs beamed with excitement with a harmonious and cheerful, “Haan.” As human beings, we have no right to condone the criminal act of making a child forsaking education because of hunger. I feel we can come up with basic measures to ensure that no child goes without food in classrooms.
1. Distribute food pack to every child below poverty line in schools every day-a bottle of water, a fruit-apple or banana, one healthy sandwich or Chappati wrapped Sabzi, one Mithai or milk.
2. Create awareness for donations from citizens. It can range between a symbolic Rs 1 to Rs 100, depending on affordability to set up a special meal fund for children throughout the year.
3. Sharing is caring. Educating children to share their lunch box once a week with their less fortunate friends. It will go a long way in strengthening the bond of friendship beyond caste, community, class and gender.
4. Spreading the message so that parents of kids who can afford, pack an extra food ‘dabba’ to share with fellow students in school, at least, once a week.
5. Organize competitions such as drawing, dancing and quiz in schools where children scoring well get monetary reward which they can use to buy food in school. Instilling a sense of responsibility and valuing money will help shape young minds who are India’s future.
PS: I am not tagging anyone but feel free to tag yourselves for this noble cause.
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Vishal Bhidu 
Thank you Vishal for sharing your voice for this noble cause. Wonderful suggestions. I liked sharing is caring the most. This will instill good values in the child and would also give him/her a lesson in compassion and empathy.
Thanks Shilpa for your appreciation of my take on the nobel initiative. Instilling good values and lessons of compassion and empathy is something we need to teach our children. I believe we can make such small steps:)
I like the idea of sharing a food packet and including healthy food in that. Thank you for writing and being a responsible blogger 🙂
I feel it can go a long..eat and eat healthy instilled in young minds to make a difference.. Thanks a lot, Parul:)
Your suggestions are all practical and simple to implement. I particularly liked the point that donations can be small. Just imagine if 1 million people donate Re. 1 each, it amounts to Rs. 1 million. That’s not a small amount!
Thanks. I feel if we can offer a symbolic amount, just imagine how many stomachs we can feed for a year cum clothing plus getting them books. We need to do our bit and people must come up. To think that we spend so much partying and buying alcohol and cigarettes, yet we hesitate to make a difference to lives. It’s sad, really sad.
I loved this post Vishal. It shows your compassion towards such an important cause.
Sharing is caring and when we teach our children this – we take one more step closer to ending Childhood hunger. Beautiful
Thanks Pixie. I am so glad u liked the post for a good cause. As citizens, we have a duty towards children and it’s a crime that a child is sacrificing his education because of one culprit: Hunger.
We need to teach our children on the joy of sharing and it will strengthen the bond as well as the the need to live as a community.
You know… just that simple gesture of a ten rupee donation by those above the poverty line would lead up to such a huge amount… I keep seeing the population of my city and others… some of our larger cities have more people than many European countries! As you said, a certain awareness of the impact we can make with just that minor donation needs to be instilled in the public…
Thanks so much, Roshan. As we discussed last time, a small gesture will make such a huge difference. It won’t make us poor by a dime but make the kids richer in terms of well fed stomach and education, which is the greatest wealth. I believe we can do it:)
Your points are very practical and brilliant, there is an elite school in kolkata that allows pavement kids to sleep in its premises in night, not only that (I think it is La Martinere for girls), it’s students do exactly what you are proposing, teach those kids, feed them, share their extra things with them!
Schools can play such an amazing role in this! just imagine rich kids giving away their extra dresses, toys, books to those who need it! I tried to become a part of any such program in kolkata but none responded 😦
WoW! That’s an interesting thing what La Martiniere does in making difference to lives. It’s such small acts that makes huge differences, feeding, sharing books and knowledge. I feel rich kids can make a huge difference to their less fortunate friends. It’s sad how you wanted to make a difference but very few responded. This is the loophole that exist in society. Let’s keep the faith through small gestures. We owe it to society.
Reblogged this on daintypetals.
The fishy part is they always instantly response when you are offering donation, money! I really am not much into donating money to third party to do something! I will rather use my own money to spend that directly ( too suspicious type), so i offer my time, labour and none answers tee hee.
I guess you right in a way, there are some who take the name of innocent children to make money. That’s why I prefer to give food to the kids, knowing the mafia in India. Though, the organization I would fund in the past in Mumbai is a serious one, involved in educating lesser fortunate kids.
This is a great post/cause. Children should get an education and food to eat. It all comes down to thinking beyond ourselves and helping others when we can. What a difference we can make!
Thank u so much, Jannat. It’s time to stop being pessimists and spread the cause to make a difference to lives.
“Create awareness for donations from citizens. It can range between a symbolic Rs 1 to Rs 100, depending on affordability to set up a special meal fund for children throughout the year.”
Why not — stop wasting time on internet, wash cars on weekend and contribute Rs1000 yourself? How silly is this Hashtag activism!
A very altruistic approach,Vishal. No fault of theirs,yet the poor people suffer. We do something here Vishal not for any organisation, but for the needy around.
Thanks Rudraprayaga. We don’t do it with some motive but truly believe in the cause. It’s high time we stop being cynics and deride efforts undertaken:)
Very sensible suggestions! I love this contest! I’m definitely going to create a post now!
Please do it, Roshni and now I tag you on this comment so that u come up with a post for this cause,
Thanks.
Excellent post! The suggestions given by you are practical . Blogadda is doing a great service by helping in this gigantic task.
Thanks so much. It’s a laudable initiative by blogadda to make a difference, We owe it to the future gen to make India a healthy and educated work force where no child should go without food.
Great Ideas Vishal. And a great initiative by Blog Adda. The Chapati roll sounds a damn good idea. Healthy and doable. Yes we do owe it to our society to give back what we have got.
Thank u so much. I mean, its practical ideas that can be implemented. I loove ur take, too:)
It’s a great post Vishal. “Sharing is caring” is something I believe in. 🙂
Thanks for liking it, Payal:)