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These Nagaland School Children Grow Organic Vegetables For Their Mid-Day Meals

In the remote village of Viswema in Nagaland's capital Kohima, K Khel Government Middle School is trying to provide nutritious food to its students through mid-day meals which are cooked using the organic vegetables grown by the students themselves in the school campus. The 60 plus students of the school are also learning the nitty-grities of farming which in turn can help them grow their own food and become self-sufficient.

These Nagaland School Children Grow Organic Vegetables For Their Mid-Day Meals

K Khel Government Middle School in Viswema village of Kohima, Nagaland started a small kitchen garden in its backyard in 2011. At first the aim of the kitchen garden was to increase the interest of the students towards gardening as a hobby/ extra-curricular activity. Later on the school decided to use the empty land in and around the school for growing vegetables and use the produce in cooking mid-day meals for students.

These Nagaland School Children Grow Organic Vegetables For Their Mid-Day Meals

There are currently 63 students enrolled in the school and each one of them is involved in the cultivation of vegetables. According to the headmistress Keneisenu Vitsu, farming and gardening is an integral part of the curriculum for which the school dedicates one day in the month to teach about agriculture related activities.

These Nagaland School Children Grow Organic Vegetables For Their Mid-Day Meals

Vegetables grown by students include cabbage, potato, onion, garlic, pumpkin, squash, pomegranate and lemon. The school is also growing beans, Naga Dal (a staple of Nagaland), maize and mustard in small patches. And the school claims that the average annual production of vegetables, pulses and grains amounts to more than 300 kilograms.

These Nagaland School Children Grow Organic Vegetables For Their Mid-Day Meals

The vegetables and grains produced by students are consumed by them in their mid-day meals prepared by the school cook. As part of their mid-day meal, the students get vegetables, lentils, fruits and rice.

These Nagaland School Children Grow Organic Vegetables For Their Mid-Day Meals

The students of this school feel proud to be a part of this initiative. Nokerhenii Koso, a student of class 7 said, 'We plant the herbs and vegetable with our own hands. It's so nice and fun to cut the vegetables and clean it. We look forward to the farming class as it has helped me learn so much about farming. I also have a small kitchen garden in my home.'

These Nagaland School Children Grow Organic Vegetables For Their Mid-Day Meals

Apart from organic farming, students of K Khel Government Middle School are engaged in other green activities like tree plantation and conducting awareness drives on waste management, plastic and air pollution.

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About The Campaign

Nearly 20 lakh children live on the streets of India, without an identity, a name to call their own, a place to call home, sleeping on empty stomachs for days and nights. These twenty lakh are children, who have dreams, who have rights, who are our tomorrow. They are living in the shadows today.

During these unprecedented times, not everyone can afford the privilege of social distancing. And not everybody can stay home during the lockdown, simply because they don’t have a home. Those living in poverty are extremely vulnerable, struck with a sudden lack of funds, food, mobility and a struggle for survival. And, as with all humanitarian crises, it is the children who have been affected the most.

It is always the children on the street who are subjected to some of the harshest realities of life. Today they are battling a catastrophic crisis, and it’s time we step in to protect them.

As a part of our COVID-19 response, Save the Children is working across various regions and has already directly reached over 18,000 children and adults to cover their basic needs. The organisation is ensuring their daily needs and their dignity and hygiene are also being cared for. Save the Children has identified 2.5 lakh children in cohorts, across 10 cities in India. Reaching out to these children with emergency relief is a top priority. But this cannot be done alone.

Save the Children and NDTV join hands to bring focus to the lives of children living in street situations. As India fights the Coronavirus, we must not forget one of the most marginalised and excluded groups whose lives have been long ignored – street-connected children. The 21-day campaign will generate public interest and raise funds to ensure these 20 Lakh+ children who live, earn, sleep and eat on our streets are cared for and protected. Amidst the crisis the world is facing, they are most vulnerable, exposed to infection and disease.