All over the world, poverty rates have risen because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Many communities in the Philippines lack access to basic day-to-day necessities. So, Goducate Laguna started its feeding program in November last year in 5 areas/communities — Tagumpay, Talahiban, Puypuy Baba, Mabacan Ulik, and Mabacan Burol. Every Saturday, children would be fed through this program. Despite the difficulties brought on by the pandemic, the program continued; though at times, because of lack of funds, the children were fed only bread or biscuits instead of porridge or chicken macaroni soup.
However, this June the feeding program was intensified. The new program will be continued for six months. Every month, the body mass index (BMI) of the children will be checked to see whether there is any improvement. On two weekdays, underweight children are given meals fortified with a balance of nutrients designed especially for the needs of undernourished children. On Saturdays, the program will continue to cater for both underweight and normal-weight children.
The program does not consist solely of feeding. Before the feeding, Goducate volunteers teach the children through story-telling, action songs, and games, so that not only their stomachs, but also their hearts and minds, are filled. Initially, there were about 150 children in the program. Currently, there are 393 children, and 133 of them are in the malnourished group. The number of areas served has also increased from five to nine, the four additional ones being Lalao/Trancapuy, Marianville, Bayan/Relocation, and Bayog. It has been gratifying to see the improvement in the children’s health as well as in their knowledge about good deeds and moral issues.
*Our guest writer is Lhowen A. Rocafort , a Goducate scholar and once a beneficiary of another feeding program.
