Cheese saves the children

If you can’t feed a hundred people, then just feed one. — Mother Teresa

MANILA, Philippines - Lake Sebu, just two hours away from General Santos City and about 40 kilometers from the capital city of Koronadal, is touted as one of the top tourism destinations of Region 12 in Mindanao. Located within the Allah Valley region in the southwestern part of South Cotabato, it is recognized by the government as one of the country’s most important watersheds. The villages around the lake, formerly known as Surallah, now form an independent municipality, also called Lake Sebu. Situated about 700 meters above sea level, it enjoys a naturally cool climate and is nourished by natural springs, lakes and waterfalls. It is well-known as the ancestral home of well-preserved cultural communities such as the T’boli tribe, famous for their intricate weaving and brassware.

There is, however, another side of the picture that is far from idyllic. A health situationer produced by the provincial health office of South Cotabato in 2007 ranked Lake Sebu the second highest in the prevalence of malnutrition, particularly among young children. It also ranked first as the most in need municipality in terms of access to potable water and sanitary toilets. Knowledge of basic health and hygiene practices that greatly affect the development of children was also seen as a glaring need. Another challenge is access to education, particularly for children living in poor and remote areas.

“Absenteeism among pupils was found to be common, due not only to distance but also due to the inability of parents to regularly provide their children with snacks and lunch to bring to school, specially during the lean months, from July to September,” relates Raymond “Ray” Soberano, Kraft Foods head for corporate and government affairs. “The children are too ashamed to have their classmates know that they could not afford to bring food to school, so they’d rather stay home instead.”

In April 2009, Kraft Foods, the world’s second largest foods company, through the Kraft Foods Foundation in the Philippines, committed to a three-year sponsorship of Making Food Go Further or MFGF, a special project of Save the Children, the world’s largest independent movement for children’s rights. The sponsorship areas include seven barangays in Lake Sebu, with the specific goal “to improve food security and the health and nutrition resiliency of children and their families.”

The target participants of the feeding program are schoolchildren from grades one to three. “Children in this age group are the most vulnerable and in need in terms of nutrition and education foundation,” explains Fanny Divino, program manager of Save the Children in South Central Mindanao. At the Odos Angkoy Elementary School in Tasiman, Lake Sebu, however, the enthusiastic reception to the feeding program made it possible even for students from grades four to six to participate. “We managed to stretch our budget,” says teacher-in-charge, Julieta Pelaez. “We also received additional support from the local government (LGU).”

Increased LGU involvement and investment through counterpart funds is part of the strategic objective. “Usually, their immediate attention is more on infrastructure while education appears not a priority,” Fanny remarks. But it is hoped that this will soon change. There is also the active drive to encourage the cooperation and mobilization of the community, starting with the parents of the school children, through vegetable gardening in the school and eventually, it is hoped, in their own backyards.

“Not only the mothers but also the fathers help in the gardening. They follow a schedule,” says Margie Galamay, a grade one teacher at Odos Angkoy. “We started with just two plots planted to vegetables and root crops such as pechay, string beans, radish, and camote. Now there are more than five plots.”

The vegetables from the school garden help augment the hot meals being prepared by the mothers themselves for the feeding program. Vegetables, mongo and rice, lugaw and dilis, as well as champorado are the usual nutritious meals prepared for the children.

The “Search for Model School Garden” was launched in November 2009 as one of the strategies to encourage the collective efforts between and among parents, teachers, barangay officials and the school children.

“We aim to promote long term behavior change,” says Norma Chan-Pongan, assistant manager of the MFGF Project of Save the Children. “There is often the tendency among beneficiaries to become dependent on the project. We give constant reminders that the project is just temporary and that they should identify their own strategies and approaches to promote active participation and collective effort to sustain the initiatives.”

Hand-washing facilities are now being built at the Odos Angkoy Elementary School with funds from Save the Children, and Kraft also donated a water tank. “We also received barangay counterpart in the form of labor and some of the building materials,” school head Julieta adds.

The “Gulayan sa Paaralan” at the Luhib Elementary School, also in Lake Sebu, is planted on a slope at the back of the school building. “We planted flamendra which help hold the soil,” school head Precy Lamigo explains. The vegetable garden appears well tended, with a variety of vegetables such as talong, sili, kalabasa, and sayote. “We use bats’ droppings as natural fertilizer,” Precy says.

It is nearing noontime and hot lunch is being prepared by grade four teacher, Delia Ladines. Mongo, talong, langka, sigarillas, sayote, kalabasa, camote tops, and malunggay leaves, are all cooked together in gata to make a nutritious vegetable stew.

The children line up to wash their hands at the hand-washing station built through a grant by Save the Children. Lunch is distributed inside the classroom, ladled into bowls or plastic plates brought by the children from home.

It is not unusual to find a 12-year-old child in grade one. A nine year old appears small for his age, and his stunted growth can only be explained by poor nutrition. But all of the children, big or small, are well behaved. They smile, say thank you, and eat properly at their desks. There is enough left for seconds, but nine-year-old Morales chooses to finish what he has on his plate first. They take only what they can finish.

They are satisfied with a one-dish meal. They’ve known what it’s like not to have anything on the dining table. There must be a lesson adults can pick up from the children, too.

It was Mohandas Gandhi who said, “There is enough for everybody’s need, but not for everybody’s greed.” While it may be too soon to see major positive results, what there is point in that direction. 

“Visiting the projects is the best part of my job,” Ray says. Besides the schools in Lake Sebu, South Cotabato, the food program supported by Kraft Foods together with Save the Children is also ongoing in San Remigio, Antique and in Paranaque City where Kraft has its corporate office, manufacturing, and R & D.

“I’ve seen a change in attitude,” Ray observes. “Where before the people appeared somewhat aloof and cautious, now, I can feel their energy and enthusiasm.”