‘Zero Hunger‘
“ It’s not about how much you do,
But how much love you put into what you do that counts. “
- Mother Teresa
The Sustainable Development Goal No. 2 by the UN, ‘Zero Hunger’ aims to end hunger and malnutrition by 2030, and to ensure everyone has access to safe, nutritious and sufficient food all year round.
As per studies, 821 million people in the world do not have enough food to lead a healthy active life. Asia happens to be the continent with the hungriest people. It is time to rethink how we grow, share and consume our food.
At St. Columba’s we feel the pertinent need to create a sensitivity among our students for the hungry and the needy.
With this view, an Outreach Programme was organized for the students of Class-2 students in which they were sensitized towards the weak and the poor in our society.
In partnership with an NGO ’Feeding India’, an awareness drive was organised in the Junior School. During the workshop, the volunteers of the organization made the students realize about the importance of food through their talks, sessions and thought provoking videos on healthy eating and ’Hunger Free India’.
During this interactive workshop our students got the opportunity to learn about
• Working of ’Feeding India‘
• ’Hunger Heroes’
• ’Magic wheels’
• ’Happy Fridge’ etc.
The boys participated enthusiastically in the question and answer sessions.
In this Outreach Programme, numerous activities were organised in respective classrooms where in students were given suggestions on how they can help in playing an active role in eradicating hunger and reaching out to the needy.
Through PowerPoint presentations, worksheets, etc., the students realised how each one can contribute in being more cautious and avoiding food wastage. The students painted posters and wrote interesting slogans to spread the message of being kind to the poverty stricken. The young Columbans took a pledge to share a healthy food basket with those in need in pursuit of reaching out to the deprived.
The boys with the support from their teachers came in big numbers to extend their services and assistance. They contributed whole heartedly in donating and collecting dry food items and consumables for the destitute and homeless.
The teachers also organised a visit with a group of students to the nearby ’Rain Basera’ near Bangla Sahib Gurdwara to get students in touch with the reality of homelessness and in turn encourage them to value and share their own blessings.
The boys of Class 2 also conducted an interesting interview with the Senior School Administrator, Mr. Naresh Chopra. Harshit Lohia and Aaron Roy posed different questions to Mr. Naresh Chopra about his views on the worrying issues of hunger and poverty prevalent in our society. They seeked his opinion about the mid-day meal schemes in schools.
Mr. Chopra was highly impressed with these young boys being the torch bearers of addressing issues of reducing food wastage. The boys also shared with him how they are doing their bit in collecting food items under their Outreach Programme-'Feeding India’. They also drew much inspiration from the way our school is contributing through breakfast schemes on premises for students who aren’t able to take breakfast before coming to school due to limited family resources.
The Outreach Programme was undoubtably an eye opener for the little minds. A joint venture which involved students, parents and teachers to serve others with their little acts of kindness to meet the struggle of hunger and poverty. Such initiatives surely go a long way in grooming our students to become conscientious global citizens of future.
