Lunch or No Lunch

A couple of months ago, the volunteers in Buhugu put forth a proposal - to provide lunch for the children attending the nursery school, entirely subsidised by I Buhugu.

The deliberation was a difficult one. How does one quantify hunger, malnutrition or the general well being of children? How does it stack up on the priority list? Wouldn't it be better for the community to come up with a local solution? After all, agriculture is what Buhugu does best. However, we knew, instinctively and by studying other lunch programs, that sourcing the resources locally is not all that feasible given the logistics involved.

In the end, the vote was in favor of "sustainability" and the proposal was shelved.

Well, last week, this decision was seriously challenged by a couple of friends - a pediatrician and a pathologist. They stressed home the role nutrition plays in early childhood development. Even a temporary access to regular and balanced meals could potentially make a big difference, they argued. What more, they offered to contribute to the program if it were to be launched.

Grateful for their input, we are now reconsidering the decision. In the coming months before the next academic year, we will consult our advisors, have discussions with the parents and design program that addresses the immediate needs of the children, while challenging ourselves to come up with a more "sustainable" solution for the long run. Whether one exists or not remains to be seen.