We look after 560 underprivileged kids from the lower Himalayas - education inclusive of nutrition, healthcare and more, books, uniforms and exposure. But our kitchen needs a makeover now and we're hoping you will help us with it! Used extensively over the years, our plates are now dented or cracked and call for urgent replacement. To inculcate proper eating etiquette, we also want to start encouraging children to eat their meals with spoons and not by hand.
With increasing number of beneficiaries and staff, there is often a shortage of plates during lunch hour. Students sometimes tend to skip a meal just because of this problem - the unavailability of plates. The other challenge faced, though trivial, is the lack of compartments on our current plates leading to mixing of sweet foods with salty foods.
We wish to use this kitchen makeover operation as a way of inculcating good standards of eating. Table manners are necessary for life ahead, when children grow up and begin to dine with their colleagues and seniors. The addition of spoons is a step towards this. Also, with the plates' shortage addressed, there will be no queues and children will not have to wait for meals or skip them altogether.
Well-fed with tummies satisfied, kids can be kids through the 10 hour day of classroom study and a host of activities. Inculcation of good table manners. And the new stock could well last another 10 years! :)
