YMWS, in association with the S.D. Ahuja Foundation, runs a Breakfast-in-School programme at the Bhagawatipur and Joynagar Khelaghar schools (since 2015) and an Evening Snack Programme in Diksha (since 2017). The objective is to improve the nutritional levels of the children and to enhance enrolment and retention.

The programme aims to provide a tasty, healthy and safe power breakfast to the children. Each child receives a glass of milk and either an egg or a banana alternately for five days a week – meeting 50% of the child’s daily requirement of vitamins A and D, calcium, iron and folic acid.

With India ranking 94 among 107 nations in the Global Hunger Index 2020, and the country recording a 37.4% stunting rate among children under five and a wasting rate of 17.3%, such programmes are the need of the hour.

‘Maintaining the provision of nutritious and safe school meals for vulnerable children’ has been suggested as one out of five measures to prevent hunger by the Public Health Foundation of India. We at YMWS look forward to continuing the ‘Breakfast in School’ programme in order to reach out to more children.