Every day, millions of children around the world go to school on an empty stomach, with poverty and hunger acting as major factors contributing to dropout rates. Since 2015, Food for Life Nepal (FFLN) has been fighting hunger in Nepal by providing hot-cooked meals to more than 10 thousand students each day. Among thousands of beneficiaries, there is Bishal Raut, whose life has been transformed as a result.
Bishal’s family migrated from a village in the Karnali province to Kathmandu with the hopes of securing a brighter future. Confronted with numerous hardships, Bishal’s father tragically took his own life, leaving his mother, Samjhana Raut, to care for Bishal, his two younger siblings, and his grandmother. As a day laborer earning less than USD 53 per month, Samjhana struggled to provide for the family, and Bishal frequently went to school hungry or even skipped school to help make a living.
However, since Food for Life Nepal implemented the mid-day meal program in Bishal’s school, his life has taken a positive turn. The nutritious meals had a profound impact on his health and overall well-being, leading to a remarkable improvement in his academic performance. The 9-year-old is now more energized and motivated to attend school every day. The program also alleviated the financial burden on Samjhana, allowing her to allocate her small income to other expenses that contribute to the family’s well-being.
Bishal’s story exemplifies the transformative power of social protection. School meals are one of the largest and most common social protection measures globally, benefitting 418 million children and yielding substantial returns on health and educational outcomes. Bishal’s story shows how such measures can address the challenges of poverty and hunger, laying the foundation for a future that upholds human rights for all.
Food for Life Nepal (FFLN) is a non-profit, public charitable organization that was registered with the Nepali government on September 4, 2015 AD.