In line with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) numbers two and three, which seek to bring hunger to zero level and ensure good health and wellbeing, the Lagos Food Bank, in partnership with Nutzy Peanuts, says it has set out to feed at least 250,000 malnourished and indigent children in every low-cost private nursery and primary school in Lagos.
Speaking at the launch of “Buy a jar, feed a child campaign” by the Food Bank and Nutzy Peanut CSR Initiative in Lagos, the founder of Food Bank, Michael Sunbola, said the 250,000 target is the food bank’s short term goal while its long term goal is to feed at least 250,000,000 pupils still in Lagos.
According to him, the aim is to bring hunger to zero point, promote good health and wellbeing, which automatically enhance quality learning.
“We understand that most children go to school on empty stomach. So we took it upon ourselves to feed them three times every week (every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday) as part of our schools feeding programme. We buy Nutzy Peanut Butter from our partner, Ajrena Foods Ltd, which helps to fix malnutrition in children, at a reduced cost. You know we can’t achieve quality education when school pupils are hungry, despite every other thing put in place,” he said.
For her part, the Nutrition/Program Officer of the Food Bank, Abimbola Olukoya, revealed that the organisation has other programmes, which include Temporary Emergency Food Assistance Programme (TEFAP), a general food distribution programme; Education Enhancement Intervention (EDUFOOD), for food insecure students; Nutritious Meal Plan (NUMEPLAN) intervention for malnourished & vulnerable mothers and children; as well as Nutrition Intervention for Diabetes Self-management (NIDS) programme, which sensitises diabetes patients with relevant knowledge to help them live longer and healthier, and provide them with diabetes compliance food items.
According to her, other humanitarian services offered are: Job placement programme, which links persons with some skills to potential employers, and family farming programme, which empowers women for different agricultural ventures like poultry farming, snail farming and vegetables seedlings.
Sunnews