Reflections of Home & Abroad

All week long we have had sessions which talk about global and national strategies to educate and support young girls and boys in accessing education. All week, in every session, we have heard how strategies which help to provide access to firewood, water and food in local rural communities frees up time for rural women and girls to achieve an education. 

Strategies across the world recognize the use of time saving technology, in whatever format, however basic, can support girls to access an education and once that education is given young girls and women can become economically independent and rural regions invariably thrive as a result. 
In several live case studies success of the schooling of young girls has been built upon access to a hot free school meal and the provision of a guarantee that in return for attending school, children are rewarded with a  healthy nutritious meal. The provision of this meal is often part of  programme of work in which girls are supported to learn basic cooking  and nutrition skills. I sat  as the UK UN Aid mission chaired a meeting in which they highlighted the need for support to regions around the world to educate young women and highlighted that by providing schools at a local level they generate not only a knowledge economy but also local teaching jobs, healthcare expertise and safe spaces for communities to gather to access external health system support. It was also highlighted time and again that the provision of school meals brought  economic benefit to those who provide food produce for the schools and those who do the cooking. 

The irony of all of this was in returning to my hotel to discover the planned cuts to free school meals in the UK.

As someone keeping a watching brief on Welfare Reform, on the roll out of volunteer led responses to food poverty in the UK and knowing first hand of families whose children's only hot meal in the day is that which offered in school it was all I could to do ask...where is joined up government in all of this? We export aid programs and understand in their construct that a fundamental part of the success of children's learning is when their bellies are not rumbling from hunger. We know from experience that they learn better and perform better when they have access to food. To cut access to free school meals at a time of austerity across the UK, at a time when welfare reform has plunged hundreds of low income families into crisis  - we cut the access to a hot meal from children in greatest need.   There are no excuses for a government who seek to punish children who live in poverty. There are no excuses for a government who would make our children stand still in the development of their goals  or push our children's potential backwards in order to save a few pounds. This is unacceptable and indefensible and shame on us if we stand idly by and let it happen.