Every year on April 7th, World Health Day is celebrated to raise awareness about the benefits and importance of good health. The theme for 2021 is “Building a fairer, healthier world” for everyone. But unfortunately, even now, we are living in a world that is an unequal one and when it comes to food security, millions of people are still struggling. According to the United Nations World Food Programme, almost 690 million people still go to bed hungry each night in a world where enough food is produced for everyone.
We understand that getting the right nutrition is important for good health. However, many underprivileged people cannot afford even one meal a day, let alone adequate nutrition. On one hand, some people are fortunate to be able to live healthier lives and have better access to health services. But on the other hand, some people struggle to make ends meet with the little income they earn. The living conditions are poor and they have little or no access to healthier environments or food security.
The Government of India is definitely playing a role in providing the underprivileged people with the right kind of facilities, which includes the mid-day meal programme launched by the government on 28th November 2001 which states that the meals served must provide the essential micronutrients such as iron, zinc, folic acid, vitamin A to the beneficiaries for all their overall health and well-being. With the government, a lot of other organizations have also come forward and played a major role in establishing better living conditions for the underprivileged.
With all the guidelines in mind, Wishes & Blessings, an NGO based in Delhi is playing a significant role in providing food security and ensuring that its beneficiaries get proper nutrition. The Daily Meals Programme, which began in 2015, has one goal: to combat hunger and poverty by feeding the poor. It began by serving 60 homeless children and women cooked meals, and gradually expanded since then. With the current hunger situation in mind, the programme serves cooked meals and distributes ration kits to the underprivileged, of all ages, and is served three meals a day. With cooked meals, the NGO is also distributing ration kits that can feed a family of 4-5 for two weeks. The meals and ration kits are prepared in a way that takes care of all the nutritional needs of the beneficiaries. The organization from their end is making sure they put every effort towards eradicating hunger from the society, however, the fight is a long one. But this World Health Day, let’s all come forward and ensure nobody sleeps on an empty stomach.
About the Author
Anupriya is a Programme Officer at Wishes and Blessings. She is passionate about social causes and believes that the world needs more good initiatives. Outside of work, she loves to paint, experiment with different cuisines, and read a good Murakami novel.