Are our children feeding?

On one of his lucky days, George Kinene, a five year old went to school and was offered a piece of soap and kilogram of maize flour, courtesy of a health camp by the international Health Sciences University (IHSU). Being overwhelmed with the gold in his hands, he excitedly bit a piece of the brown soap and locked it behind his lips. 

No sooner had it got into his mouth than he spat it out with a distasteful look. It had not served his intended purpose-relieving him of his hunger. Perhaps, he thought it was food and one edible on spot. He was disappointed. His parents had packed for him a slice of bread and passion juice that he had finished at break time (about 10:00AM) but was still hungry. It was now 12:15PM and not eaten again.

His school, Jennit Kabel Nursery School in Namuwongo does not have a kitchen and neither does it provide food for the over 100 children that attend the school. Every term (three months), each of their parents pays shs 10,000 for school fees. On a given day, it is no spectacle to see tots scrambling for one another’s packed lunch.

This situation is not any better in the neighbouring Church of Uganda Nursery School where the head teacher has had quarrels with parents over the issue of food.

“Many parents shun the responsibility of packing for their children lunch and breakfast and yet the school does not provide for them because of inadequate funds,” Ruth Naweria, the head teacher says.

In fact, she says some parents have been forced to relocate their children to other schools blaming the school for not providing their children with food. Apart from struggling with parents for food, she also heckles with the neighbours for littering waste around the school that has led to a high incidence of infection among the children.

Nevertheless, it is by the mercy of the church that the school exists. During the week, the premises are a school and on Sunday, it is a congregating area. 

The effect of not having lunch;

Good nutrition is the bedrock of healthy life and it begins in infancy. However, there is a lot of ignorance when it comes to feeding practises for children both from head teachers and parents.  

“Many children exhibit stunted growth and are not achieving the milestones they are supposed to at particular stages in education because they are dull in class,” Teddy Nagaddya, a public health practioner says.

In a survey that was conducted by IHSU in schools around Namuwongo this year, it was identified that most of the children have one meal a day and this is usually eaten late; around 3:00 or 4:00PM. This sentences the children to forage for food usually picking up waste food along dusty, muddy or unhygienic walkways to and fro school.

At Namuwongo Christian Nursery and Primary School, Robert Mutabazi, the headmaster testifies to absenteeism of some children.

“Recently, there is a parent who has not brought his child to school for two days because he is not able to provide him with lunch,” he says.

“The problem of nutrition is being looked into but we are struggling to raise funds to buy foods like posho and beans for lunch.”

This is because the sponsor, Roberta Cursin from England can only afford to pays teachers’ salaries.

The commonest food that these children pack is a blend of boiled beans and maize locally called, ‘nyoyo.’ Those whose parents cannot afford to pack for them usually go back home to eat lunch. 

To abet this problem, Nagaddya says it is important for parents to fully utilize available resources to ensure children’s quality feeding; for example, feeding them on the dodo (a leafy green vegetable) that grows in their backyards.

“Sensitization is key in proving efforts of feeding children successful because some teachers and parents are oblivious of these benefits. Nutrition experts and health practitioners have a big role to play here,” she says.

The recommended diet for a child;

Dr Peter Kirabira, the head of research at IHSU says children need a balanced diet with proteins (beans, peas) carbohydrates (posho, brown rice and bread) fats, vitamins (found in fruits) and essential micro elements like zinc and potassium on a daily basis.

Dr Dorothy Nakimbugwe, a senior lecturer at Makerere University’s department of food technology recommends Vitamin A for boosting a child’s immune system and making him or her less resistant to diseases. 

 Vitamin A is commonly found in fruits and green leafy vegetables such as nakati and cabbages as well as in yellow and orange vegetables such as carrots, pumpkins and sweet potatoes. Milk, eggs and some cereals are also fortified with vitamin A.

“For breakfast, porridge is recommended because it results in a feeling of being full and is rich in Methionine, an Amino Acid that our bodies cannot produce naturally,” she says.

She however notes that caffeine and high sugar intake may adversely affect performance levels of athletes and should be avoided. Also, foods like popcorn and crisps may lead to unnecessary accumulation of gas and should be avoided.
“Apart from good feeding, parents need to ensure to de-worm their children after every three months,” Dr Kirabira urges.