India has one of the fastest-growing economies in the world, but it also has the world's largest population of undernourished children. The solution to that problem is beginning in a place students go every day - school.
A national school lunch program begun by devotees of the Hare Krishna religion feeds 1.3 million Indian school children every day from massive kitchens that churn out huge amounts of flatbread and lentil stew. School administrators say children are more attentive in class and are more likely to come to school thanks to the free meal, since it is often their only meal for the day.
India's Supreme Court recently ruled that feeding the country's children is a government priority and that they should not be allowed to go hungry. However, despite the ruling, many children say they don't eat on days when there is no school, and 2500 children die in India every day from malnutrition.
Quotes
"India finds itself acutely embarrassed. Its ambitions of being a global power are very poorly reflected in social sector indicators, and there is the acute embarrassment that the second-fastest growing economy in the world has almost half of its children malnourished."- Biraj Patnaik, social researcher
Warm Up Questions
1. What is malnutrition?
2. Where is India? What do you know about India?
3. Do you get meals at school? If so, which ones?
Discussion Questions
1. How do the school meals you saw in this video compare to your school meal(s)?
2. Why do you think there is such a big difference between the rich and the poor in India? How could that problem be addressed?
3. Is hunger a problem in the U.S.? How do you know?
Additional Resources
