Nutritious Meals

The Easter Sunday Bombings of 2019, the Pandemic of 2020-2021, and the severe economic crisis in Sri Lanka in 2022 have and continue to affect the communities we work in economically as well as emotionally. For the first time in the history of Sri Lanka malnutrition amongst children has become a problem. Failed harvests and food inflation at 64% have meant that families do not have access to their own crops, struggle to afford basic foods and are often unable to provide their children with 3 meals a day.

Children are attending school without any food, falling asleep and are beginning to suffer from malnutrition. We have started to run feeding programmes and for some children this is the only meal they have all day.

In response to this need, we began a feeding programme in July 2022. This initiative has brought the parents together as they work in teams to go shopping for the food and prepare the meals. They feel proud they can provide food for the children at school as they are unable to do so regularly at home.

Our goal was, and remains, to ensure that children who attend our OST preschools have access to a nutritious meal every day. This means the children can access their early years learning programmes as they are no longer hungry.

In the preschools where the feeding programme is currently enrolled, we conducted weight measurements from April to July 2024 and observed a clear average weight gain among participating preschools.

Linking this to preschool attainment data in 2024, we observed that preschool children who are well-nourished achieve 15% higher attainment on average compared to children who are under-nourished, further highlighting the importance of good nutrition in early years development outcomes.

Our work on the feeding programme is closely supported by the local government office in Batticaloa, the Divisional Secretariat (DS). Alongside our own monitoring work, the DS office reviews our work and fully supports our feeding programme due the widespread issue of child malnutrition.

During our regular visits, we can see first-hand the feeding programme and to talk with all involved in delivering a meal on a plate to a child.

It is always an emotional experience especially talking with parents. The impact has been substantial.

Working alongside local child welfare workers, our staff have designed a menu of nutritious meals for the children to have every day.

Feedback shows these meals have brought the parents together as they work in teams to go shopping for the food and prepare the meals. They feel proud they can provide food for the children at preschool, as they are unable to do so regularly at home.

Attendance has also improved, and children are eager to come to preschool and are better prepared to access the educational opportunities

As we closely monitor and evaluate all our work, we have collected substantial data proving how significant the meals are to the educational and emotional wellbeing and development of the children.

It is not only the children who benefit from these meals. The wider communities also benefit from the support.