The impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on students’ life is beyond one can imagine. Most of the learners have suffered from hunger or nothing to eat due to a series of lockdowns in which their parents lost their jobs that disabled them to feed their family. This became a burden for the students to improve their learning as it was not easy for them to study their lesson because of lacking needed foods and materials. Hence, nurturing healthy learners has been one of the priorities in Cataning Elementary School.
The idea of having a “Mobile Kusina: School-Community Partnership Program became a part of the Kinder, Grade 1, 4, 5 and Floating Teachers’ plan to help alleviate students’ hunger. The objectives of the program were to provide feeding to learners and nutritious foods to those it would be otherwise unattainable prioritizing the less fortunate children; to lessen hunger by sourcing and distributing nutritious food to students in need, building strong community partnerships, and mobilizing the public in the fight of diminishing hunger; and to promote health and nutrition information and awareness among target beneficiaries through the K to 12 Curriculum and its alternative modalities of education
With the approval of the principal, Mrs. Agnes O. Magdalera and coordination of the Ka Belly’s staff, they provided a “Mobile Kusina: School-Community Partnership Program last November 25, 2021, which aimed to deliver free meals for less fortunate children. This activity was supported by complementary actions such as giving away food packs and micronutrient supplementation. The assistance of caterers who spared supplies for the mobile kitchen gave a big impact and happiness for the learners. This kind of program is crucial on the part of the children particularly during pandemic situations. Hence, the commitment of school and community to caring should be prompted and given back to those who are less fortunate learners during these trying times. This kind of initiative became a gateway for students to devote their energy and attention toward succeeding in school not only because of the food packs they had received from the school but also the value of taking this moment and reconstructing them into something more positive.
By: Rosita B. Forbes | Master Teacher I | Cataning Elementary School
