Edible School Gardens in Firozabad, UP

EDIBLE SCHOOL GARDENS

A tool to address nutritional insecurity among children?

IMPLEMENTATION OF EDIBLE SCHOOL GARDENS PROGRAMME – TOWARDS ENSURING NUTRITIONAL AWARENESS AND SECURITY AMONG CHILDREN

1.1. Importance of nutritious food for children in all stages of life

ALL INDIA POOR STATUS OF CHILD NUTRITION[1]

• 7 % of children 0-59 months stunted; % higher for SC/ST (RSOC 2013-14)
• 1 % of children 0-59 months wasted; % higher for SC/ST (RSOC 2013-14)
• 4 % of children 0-59 months underweight; % higher for SC/ST (RSOC 2013-14)

UTTAR PRADESH- DENSEST STATE UNDER SEVERE MALNUTRITION

• Uttar Pradesh state has 62 % of stunted and 45 % of underweight children in its child population[2].
• According to the Union ministry of Women and Child Development, UP is among the worst performing states in the area of underweight and malnutrition among children between the age group of 0 to 6 years.[3]
• 5% of the total children who were identified as beneficiaries of the supplementary nutrition programme under ICDS were underweight, with 62,728 falling in the Grade III and IV - severely malnourished - categories. The UP figures are also considerably higher than the national average of 28.4 %[4].

Access to adequate food is important, especially during childhood, since lacking nutritious food has severe consequences for the children’s future. Vegetables and fruits are essential suppliers of micronutrients such as vitamins and minerals as well as complex carbohydrates. That’s why an edible school garden in the small village Raipura Nyaya Panchayat of Firozabad District of Uttar Pradesh with a high prevalence of malnutrition in children can be a great chance to improve their nutritional status which results in an adequate physical and mental development.

Malnutrition is a vicious cycle that can go around from young to old inclusive women within one family. In Raipura, there are 2200 boys and 950 girls which has been turned into glass bangle making hub with almost 90% children work in the Bangle cottage industry as child workers while attending school.  In this village, there are small farmers who own meagre landholding, and landless agricultural labourer - both engaged in agricultural operations, growing wheat, potato, and vegetables, with rich milk producing livestock nevertheless, they are malnourished, anaemic, pale and gloomy. The village has the caste composition of 52% Dalit -historically most marginalized – 25% Backward Communities, 18% Rajput’s and 5% Brahmins- upper caste communities, thus the neediest. Though most of the villagers are small farmers who also rearing livestock, nevertheless, quality information about the nutritional value of food, food processing and complimentary nature of micronutrients are lacking among women and children.