School Meals #MadagascarInMay

Many of the teachers we met told us that quite often their pupils turn up for school on an empty stomach – some find it so hard to stay awake let alone focus on their school work.

When visiting Antsahalava Primary School after 2pm, the teachers asked if the pupils could be excused to go home as they hadn’t eaten all day! This is not the exception but the norm for many children in rural Madagascar. Some of these pupils would have had quite a walk home in the heat before getting a morsel. #MadagascarInMay

What Adsum is doing:

Our Ed4Life Programme (active in 30+ Adsum schools) aims to equip teachers, children and their parents with the knowledge, skills and resources to effectively engage in organic food production. Each school grows their own crops in a kitchen garden which in turn is used to create nutritious meals. Many of the kitchen gardens now yield enough produce for two meals per week. Higher attendance at school is recorded on these days.

See below photos taken from our visit to Mangarano Primary School where the Ed4Life programme is in full flow and transforming life for the community. It really was such a joy to visit this school. the pupils and teachers were proud of their produce - and rightly so! After the grand - tour of their kitchen garden I was eager to hear what the children's favourite food is.......they all replied in chorus...rice! 

The Ed4Life programme encourages the school community to provide meals encompassing the 7 colours of the nutrition wheel as pictured above at Antoby Ansahamaina Primary School.

Get involved:

Children who go to school hungry cannot learn well. You help us improve the nutrition and education of children and their families in rural Madagascar by donating to our Education for Life programme.  Every £ donated to our Ed4Life programme will be matched with each penny going direct to the project. Therefore, all donations, regardless of size, will make a tangible difference to the lives of children in Madagascar.

Please follow this link to make a life changing donation today: donate now

Author: Úna Kelly

See more photos on our trip to Madagascar by following the handle #MadagascarInMay on our Twitter account.