SK Afroze, who works as a teacher at M.P.P.P. Special School, Mukundavaram village, Andhra Pradesh is a happy man. Over the past three years, he saw his students transform. They are healthier, more attentive and focused. Reason: the students are being provided with nutritious food. “Access to supplementary nutrition provided at the school not only had positive impact on children’s health and physical fitness but, also resulted in improving their regular studies and active participation in co-curricular activities,” he says.

OneStage’s Supplementary nutrition project funded by Cargill, implemented by Association For Rural and Tribal Development (ACTION) in School’s have hundreds of beneficiaries every year.

He tells us the story of his student, Abhishek: “Abhishek’s parents were very poor and it was difficult for them to even arrange for a single meal a day. Due to financial limitations they were unable to send their son to school as well. Abhishek used to accompany them to the farms to work as a labourer, but he had his limitations.”

Afroze visited Abhishek’s parents along with the headmaster of the school and convinced them to enroll Abhishek to school. “When they came to know that children were being provided supplementary nutrition, which included, milk, eggs, biscuits and fruits, they readily agreed to send him. Abhishek’s parents are now happy as he has put on weight and has even stood first in his class within a span of 12 months of joining school.

Motivated by Abhishek, there are many other children, who started attending the school. “Those parents who could afford to send their children to convent schools have also started to send them to M.P.P. School because of provision for supplementary food. Access to supplementary nutrition resulted in an increase in the number of enrolment of children to 260,” says Afroze.