Food, nutrition, and the urban poor

Rencana Aksi Nasional Jajanan Sehat Anak Sekolah

Nanda Ratna Astuti, Jakarta Community Manager

Students in Jakarta usually buy food from street vendors to sustain themselves throughout the school day. Unfortunately, street snacks are often unhealthy, and sometimes even dangerous: snacks have been found to include harmful substances like clothing dye, MSG, and preservatives. The national food and drug agency of Indonesia created the National Action Plan for Children's School Snacks to improve the quality of snacks served at school, and to reduce the distribution of snacks containing harmful ingrediants.

Tidak seperti di negara-negara maju, anak sekolah di Indonesia umumnya tidak mendapatkan makan siang disekolah melainkan lebih sering membeli jajanan (street snack). Padahal usia anak sekolah adalah usia yang memerlukan gizi dan nutrisi yang cukup untuk tumbuh dan berkembang. Sudah menjadi rahasia umum bahwa jajanan di sekolah bukanlah makanan sehat, bahkan cenderung berbahaya bagi kesehatan, namun tetap saja jajanan ini digemari dan dibeli hampir setiap hari oleh anak-anak sekolah tersebut. Jajanan yang digemari anak-anak ini umumnya berwarna mencolok, rasanya gurih atau sangat manis dan harganya murah. Namun sayangnya para pedagang kurang memperhatikan kebersihan dan kandungan nutrisi dalam jajanan-jajanan tersebut, sehingga tidak jarang mereka menggunakan zat-zat yang berbahaya seperti pewarna pakaian, MSG dan pengawet.

Melihat keadaan ini, Badan Pengawas Obat dan Makanan (BPOM) mengadakan program Rencana Aksi Nasional Pangan Jajanan Anak Sekolah (RAN PJAS) yang merupakan gerakan untuk meningkatkan mutu jajanan di sekolah sekaligus mengawasi beredarnya jajanan yang mengandung bahan-bahan yang berbahaya. Program ini dilaksanakan di Jakarta dan kota-kota besar lainnya di seluruh Indonesia sejak awal tahun 2012 yang difokuskan kepada jajanan anak di tingkat sekolah dasar (SD) mengingat sebagian besar kasus keracunan makanan terjadi di tingkat SD. Dalam program ini dioperasikan mobil laboratorium yang berkeliling ke sekolah-sekolah di Jakarta setiap hari Selasa, Rabu dan Kamis. RAN PJAS dilaksanakan melalui penerapan lima strategi, yaitu perkuatan program PJAS, peningkatan awareness komunitas PJAS, peningkatan kapasitas sumber daya PJAS, modeling, dan replikasi kantin sekolah, dan optimalisasi manajemen Aksi Nasional PJAS. Secara nasional melalui program ini Badan POM telah mengoperasionalisasikan mobil laboratorium keliling ke 1.291 sekolah dasar, dan melakukan pembinaan kepada 80.000 orang guru SD, 80.000 orang pedagang PJAS di sekitar sekolah, dan 24.000 pengelola kantin, serta memberikan 100 Piagam Bintang Keamanan Pangan untuk SD/MI di 20 provinsi.

Program ini telah menunjukkan hasil yang cukup menggembirakan, karena hingga akhir 2012 angka keracunan akibat jajanan tidak sehat turun dari 44 persen menjadi 27 persen. Program ini juga menunjukkan hasil berupa peningkatan persentase keamanan pangan jajanan anak sekolah yang memenuhi syarat, dari 56 persen hingga 60 persen pada kurun waktu tahun 2008 hingga 2010, menjadi 65 persen pada tahun 2011, dan 76 persen pada tahun 2012 lalu. Di tahun 2013 ini, RAN PJAS menjangkau lebih luas lagi daerah-daerah di luar pulau jawa seperti Nusa Tenggara Timur.

Meskipun anak-anak Indonesia harus jajan di sekolah, paling tidak mereka membeli jajanan yang bergizi dan sehat. diharapkan di masa mendatang tidak ditemukan lagi jajanan anak sekolah yang berbahaya bagi kesehatan. Jajanan anak sekolah penting diperhatikan, karena jajanan yang sehat sangat mempengaruhi pertumbuhan anak untuk menjadi generasi muda yang cemerlang di masa depan.

Photo credit: Himatipan Unpad

The reality of urban malnutrition

Carlin Carr, Bangalore Community Manager

Urban malnutrition is pervasive among children in India's slums. The issue lacks attention in the urban context; instead, discussions of under-nourished children in remote villages capture headlines and government attention. "Official urban health statistics hide the appalling health and nutrition conditions of urban slum dwellers, most of whom are not 'official' residents of the cities, and therefore, do not get included in urban statistics," says a 2004 article, "Nutrition Problems in Urban Slum Children." The study found that only 13 percent of slum children have normal weight.

Nearly a decade later, little has changed. A recent study of government school children in the Azad Nagar slum of Bangalore reveals a "high prevalence" of malnutrition among the school-goers. "The children studying in government schools do not realize their full potential for growth and they are considerably more malnourished than their counterparts of private schools," says the report. Hunger and malnutrition not only impact the growth and physical health of the children, but their future is also at stake. With little extra energy to focus, school grades slip and learning becomes nearly impossible.

In Bangalore, however, programs to combat child malnutrition have focused their attention on bringing the solutions directly to the youth. A school lunch program run by a Hindu movement known as ISKCON (or Hare Krishna in the West) serves 1.3 million children a healthy hot meal at lunchtime, according to an NPR report on the large-scale initiative started over a decade ago. "The program is so cost-effective it's become a Harvard Business School case study. Today it costs only about 11 cents to place a meal before each child. By 2020, the program hopes to feed 5 million children every day."

For those children who are at even greater risk — the "poorest of the poor" — YuvaLok, a Bangalore NGO, runs a unique mobile food program that ensures youth in four target slums have healthy meals. The program's name is Anna Vahini, which means "food carrier" in Hindi. YuvaLok focuses on the most at-risk populations in Bangalore, including street children, rescued child laborers, young girls, and disadvantaged women. Started in 1993, YuvaLok provides both formal and non-formal education, vocational training, nutrition, and healthcare to over 2,000 children.

The Anna Vahini truck transports breakfast and lunch to satellite sites where children also attend school. A nutritionist monitors the program's menu and doctors check in on the children's health. Teachers have reported longer attention spans, and their immune systems have likewise gotten stronger. "Because of the consistent high nutrition meals, illness has now decreased to the point where the facility no longer needs to retain a nurse on site," says a report by Mother Teresa's Children Foundation, which also supports Anna Vahini.

While school lunch programs in government-run schools across urban India have proven vital to improving the health and well-being of these vulnerable children, more needs to be done. An article in The Hindu suggests a need to strengthen institutional mechanisms and enhance coordination among government departments and programs. Proposed solutions include setting up a nutrition council at the state level to oversee the National Nutrition Policy, as well as a nodal agency for implementation of the national program. These necessary institutional adjustments are a promising step. With children as the future of the country, the investment goes beyond time and finance — it is for a more successful and promising India.

Photo credit: Anil Bhatt

Promoting food security among Dhaka's urban poor

Digya Shrestha and Jyoti Pokharel, Dhaka Community Managers

Despite benefitting from an impressive increase in its domestic food grain production, Bangladesh has yet to achieve comprehensive food security. One out of every four households in Bangladesh suffers from food insecurity, and the poorest struggle to find enough safe and healthy food to sustain themselves. Increases in domestic food production, food imports, and the management of food all contribute to the availability of food at the national level. However, the availability of food does not eliminate all food insecurity: the purchasing power of the poor and the high price of food also limit access to food.

The Association for Socio-Economic Advancement in Bangladesh (ASEAB) was established in 1993 and works for the development and empowerment of marginalized communities. One of its programs, "Slum and Urban Development Program," focuses on nutrition and food security for slum dwellers, by helping them increase their income enough to afford basic nutrition. Since 2001, ASEAB has been providing services to 150 families living in Dhaka's slums. The services include microcredit support, along with income-generating trainings like tailoring, block-boutique, and candle making. This services provide the urban poor with skills and opportunities to increase their income and to therefore sustain their basic demands for food.

Despite ASEAB's contribution to improving food security in Dhaka, this program alone is not sufficient to bring comprehensive food security. The government should also play a role— for instance, by regulating food prices and by maintaining the purchasing power of poor. Another way to prevent rising prices would be to increase the government's food stock in the market so that if a shortage occurs, the government can deliver food to the market. This solution would also prevent the hike of food prices following a shortage of supply.

দরিদ্র ঢাকা নগরবাসীদের মধ্যে খাদ্য নিরাপত্তার অগ্রগতি

দ্বদিগ্যা শ্রেষ্ঠা ও জ্যোতি পখারেল

যদিও বাংলাদেশ গৃহস্থালি খাদ্য উৎপাদনে অসাধারণ লক্ষ্যমাত্রা অর্জন করছে, দেশটি দরিদ্র ও দুর্বল জনগষ্ঠির খাদ্য নিরাপত্তা নিশ্চিত করার যুগান্তকারী পদক্ষেপ নিতে সক্ষম হয়নি। বাংলাদেশে প্রতি চার গৃহের একটি খাদ্য অনিরাপত্তায় ভুগছে, বিশেষ করে শহুরেবাসীদের মধ্যে বস্তিবাসীদের খাদ্য নিরাপত্তা ও সুস্বাস্থ্য বজায় রাখা কঠিন হয়ে পড়ছে। বাংলাদেশি ১৭০ মিলিয়ন জনগণের কমপক্ষে শতকরা ৫ ভাগ বস্তিবাসীরা এই খাদ্য অনিরাপত্তার স্বীকার। জাতীয় পর্যায়ে বর্ধিত গৃহস্থালি খাদ্য উৎপাদন, খাদ্য আমদানিকরন, এবং খাদ্য ব্যবস্থাপনার যথেষ্ট পর্যাপ্তটা রয়েছে। যাইহোক, শুধুমাত্র খাদ্যের পর্যাপ্তটা সর্বদা খাদ্যের অনিরাপত্তার সমস্যার সমাধান দিতে পারেনা। এক্ষেত্রে স্থানীয় লোকদের ক্রয়ক্ষমতা ও খাদ্যের মূল্য অনেক বেশি তাৎপর্যপূর্ণ। খাদ্যের চড়ামূল্য ও নিম্ন ক্রয়ক্ষমতার কারণে প্রায়ই দরিদ্র লোকজন খাদ্যের অধিকার থেকে বঞ্ছিত হচ্ছে। ঢাকার বস্তীবাসীদের উপর করা একটি পরিসংখানে বলা হয়েছে, যদিও বস্তীবাসীরা খাদ্য অভ্যাসে সচেতন, স্বাস্থ্যকর খাবার ব্যয়বহুল হওয়ার কারণে তারা এসমস্ত খাবারগুলো ক্রয় করতে সক্ষম হচ্ছে না। স্বাস্থ্যকর খাবারগুলোর মূল্য সাধারণত বাজার খাদ্য মূল্যের উপর নির্ভর করে; যাইহোক, দরিদ্র মানুষদের ক্রয় করার ক্ষমতা বিবেচনা না করেই বাজারে খাবারগুলোর মূল্য হ্রাসবৃদ্ধি হতে থাকে।

অ্যাসোসিয়েশন ফর সোশিও-একনোমিক অ্যাডভাঞ্চমেন্ট ইন বাংলাদেশ (ASEAB) নামে একটি সংস্থা প্রতিষ্ঠার ১৯৯৩ সাল থেকে সমাজের কোণঠাসা জনগণ বিশেষ করে বস্তিবাসীদের উন্নয়ন ও ক্ষমতায়নের জন্য কাজ করে যাচ্ছে। তাদের বিভিন্ন প্রোগ্রামের মধ্যে “বস্তি ও নগরায়ন প্রকল্প” একটি। তাদের এই প্রকল্পের কেন্দ্রবিন্দু হচ্ছে বস্তিবাসীদের জন্য পুষ্টি ও খাদ্য নিরাপত্তা। ২০০১ সাল থেকে, ASEAB ঢাকার বস্তি এলাকার ১৫০ পরিবারের মধ্যে খাদ্য নিশ্চিতকরণ ও পুষ্টি নিরাপত্তার জন্য বিভিন্ন ধরণের সেবা সরবরাহ করে যাচ্ছে। এই প্রকল্পের আওতায় রয়েছে ৬০০ বস্তিবাসীকে ক্ষুদ্রঋণ প্রদানের মাধ্যমে আয় উৎপাদনের প্রশিক্ষণ দেওয়া যেমন সেলাই, ব্লক-বাটিক, মোমবাতি, এবং ফাস্ট ফুড তৈরির কাজ শেখানো।

যদিও ASEAB ঢাকার দরিদ্র নগরবাসীদের খাদ্য নিরাপত্তার জন্য অবদান রাখচ্ছে, এই প্রোগ্রাম একাকী সম্বলিত খাদ্য নিরাপত্তা প্রতিষ্ঠার জন্য যথেষ্ট নয়। সুতরাং, ঢাকার দরিদ্র নগরবাসীদের খাদ্য নিরাপত্তা প্রতিষ্ঠার জন্য সরকারের পাশাপাশি বিভিন্ন বেসরকারি প্রতিষ্ঠান সমূহদের (এনজিও) এগিয়ের আসা দরকার। প্রশিক্ষণ দেওয়ার পাশাপাশি, সরকারের উচিত নিয়মিতভাবে খাদ্যমূল্য নিয়ন্ত্রণ করা এবং এর সাথে মানুষের ক্রয়ক্ষমতা সামঞ্জস্যপূর্ণ করা। সরকার একটা উপায় বেছে নিতে পারেন সেটা হল বাজারের খাদ্যমূল্যের সীমাবদ্ধাতা খুঁজে বের করা এবং প্রতিটি পণ্যের মূল্য তালিকা নির্ধারণ করে দেওয়া, যাতে খাদ্য সরবরাহকারীরা সরকারের নির্ধারণ মূল্য তালিকা অনুসারে পণ্য বিক্রয় করতে পারে। পণ্যের উচ্চমূল্য প্রতিরোধের জন্য সরকার আরেকটি পদ্ধতি অনুসরণ করতে পারে, সেটা হলো বাজারের জন্য খাদ্য মজুত রাখা। যখন খাদ্য ঘাটতি ঘটবে, তখন যেন সরকার মজুত থেকে বাজারে পণ্য সরবরাহ করতে পারে। পণ্য কম সরবরাহ থাকার কারণে অনেক সময় বাজারে পণ্যের দাম বেড়ে যায়, এই প্রক্রিয়া খাদ্যের মূল্য প্রতিরোধে সহায়তা করবে বাজারে চাহিদা অনুসারে পণ্য সরবরাহ করে।

Boa comida ao alcance de todos: O primeiro Guia Gastronômico das Favelas do Rio

Catalina Gomez, Rio de Janeiro Community Manager

Comida gostosa e nutritiva está ao alcance de todos os moradores de Rio, sem importar onde eles moram. Este parece ser a mensagem de Sérgio Bloch, Ines Garçoni e Marcos Pinto, os autores do "Guia Gastronômico das Favelas do Rio", que foi lançado o mês passado.

Tendo a intenção de promover lugares com comida boa e gostosa ao alcance de todos, especialmente nos bairros de baixa renda, o livro recomenda os melhores 22 lugares donde comer nas favelas cariocas, incluindo restaurantes, bares e terraços improvisados. A equipe criadora do livro visitou por vários meses mais de 100 estabelecimentos em oito favelas incluindo o Complexo do Alemão, Morro da Providência, Santa Marta, Tabajaras, Chapéu Mangueira, Vidigal, Rocinha, e o Morro dos Prazeres.

A motivação do livro surgiu quando Sergio Bloch estava gravando um documentário sobre as unidades de polícia pacificadoras (UPP) em varias favelas e conheceu um bom número de estabelecimentos onde parava para almoçar. Ele achou vários destes lugares muito bons, com comida caseira, nutritiva e saborosa, outros locais inovadores, mais todos eles com preços bem razoáveis. Bloch achou que ele deveria compartilhar aquela experiência com todos aqueles que procuram dicas gastronômicas fora dos locais tradicionais, com foco nas favelas pacificadas.

As recomendações do Guia Gastronômica incluem lugares como Fino Paladar, um restaurante na Ladeira dos Tabajaras em Botafogo, que serve um cardápio bastante variado desde picanha asada até bocalão ao forno. Outro estabelecimento destacado é Carnes Exóticas do Glimário, um restaurante na Rocinha, uma das maiores favelas cariocas, especializado em carnes exóticas, como pato e coelho, que serve pratos como avestruz com ervas, arroz de açafrão e salada de palmito. Todos estes lugares referidos pelo livro servem porções bem generosas, a preços raçoáveis.

Embora o livro esteja recentemente lançado, ele já tem criado muita curiosidade e interesse por parte dos moradores das favelas e aqueles não moradores. Inclusive alguns dos restaurantes estão aproveitando o destaque dentro da culinária local. A atenção a alguns deles como Laje do Cesar no Morro da Babilônia que serve moquecas, e Laje da Tia Lea no Vidigal, que serve desde feijoada até frutos do mar, tem eles requerendo reservas, tais como qualquer restaurante na moda da cidade.

Guias e livros como este, focados nos aspetos positivos das favelas, promovem maior atenção e conhecimento destes lugares. Este livro em particular está contribuindo a construir uma mensagem importante como que a comida nutritiva, gostosa e de preço razoável está no alcance de muitos moradores das favelas. O livro também promove uma referencia positiva dentro dos bairros destacados, criando um orgulho e um interesse pelos acontecimentos daquelas comunidades. Finalmente, este tipo de publicações gera incentivos para que outras pessoas nas favelas desenvolvam projetos innovadores na cozinha; tal vez, algum dia eles virem destaque na última edição da Guia Gastronómica das Favelas da cidade.

Foto: Marcos Pinto

Good food is just around the corner: Rio de Janeiro's first Favela Gastronomic Guide

Catalina Gomez, Rio de Janeiro Community Manager

Good and nutritious food is accessible to all of Rio's residents, no matter where they live. At least this is the message from Sérgio Bloch, Ines Garçoni, and Marcos Pinto, the authors of the new "Guia Gastronômico das Favelas do Rio," or "The Gastronomic Guide to Rio's Favelas," the first of its kind.

Indeed, the book covers 22 of the best locations to eat in Rio's favelas, including restaurants, bars, and improvised home terraces — all located in low-income neighborhoods. In order to come up with these recommendations, the authors spent several months researching and visiting over 100 restaurants in eight favelas all around the city, including Complexo do Alemão, Morro da Providência, Santa Marta, Tabajaras, Chapéu Mangueira, Vidigal, Rocinha, and Morro dos Prazeres.

The idea of the book started when Sergio Bloch, who works as a film director, was filming a documentary about peace police squads in favelas. While looking for places nearby to eat lunch, he came across several spots where the food was tasty, healthy, and affordable. Based on this experience, Bloch wanted to share this knowledge with others who were in search of restaurant ideas off the beaten path, especially in favelas that are considered safe thanks to the presence of the peace police.

One of the recommendations from the Gastronomic Guide is Fino Paladar or "Fine Palate," a restaurant in the Ladeira dos Tabajaras in Botafogo, which serves a varied menu including grilled steak and baked cod. The Carnes Exóticas do Glimário is located in Rocinha, one of Rio's biggest favelas, and specializes in sophisticated meats like duck and rabbit, and serves dishes with fine herbs, saffron rice, and hearts of palm salad. All of the restaurants highlighted in the book serve very generous portions at affordable prices.

Although the book was published very recently, it has already generated great curiosity among favela residents and non-residents alike. Some of the restaurants profiled are enjoying their spotlight in the local culinary scene. The attention given to some places, like Laje do Cesar (known for its fish stews) and Laje da Tia Lea in Vidigal (which serves bean stews and fresh seafood), has led them to request advance reservations and early orders of special dishes, just like any other trendy restaurant.

Guides and books like this one, which focus on the positive aspects of favelas, promote greater knowledge and acceptance of these neighborhoods. This book has been instrumental in making it clear that tasty and affordable food is available to many favela residents. The book also helps promote positive references within these communities, creating a sense of pride and interest for their neighborhoods. Finally, this type of publication generates incentives for other favela residents to come up with innovative and creative ideas in the kitchen: maybe someday they will be covered in the newest edition of the Gastronomic Guide.

Photo credit: Marcos Pinto

Estrategias de alimentación para la población vulnerable en el DF

María Fernanda Carvallo, Mexico City Community Manager

El Distrito Federal cuenta con un alto nivel de ingresos per cápita; sin embargo, la distribución de los ingresos es de alta desigualdad. Este grado de desigualdad dejó al 13.4 por ciento de la población del D.F. en pobreza alimentaria. De acuerdo al Consejo Nacional de Evaluación de la Política Social, esta población tiene un ingreso que se encuentra por debajo de la línea de bienestar mínimo y no tiene la manera de recaudar los $1,177.04 pesos necesarios que se necesitan al mes para alimentar a sólo una persona.

Diversos actores implementan alternativas de solución para dar acceso a la población más pobre a la alimentación. Uno de ellos es la asociación civil Comer y Crecer, cuyo objetivo es proporcionarles a los niños en pobreza extrema una alimentación balanceada para que puedan tener un desarrollo físico, intelectual y emocional adecuado para su edad. Desempeñan su labor por medio de dos comedores en donde más de 400 niños acuden una vez al día por una comida completa y balanceada que cubre los requerimientos del 80 por ciento de la ingesta diaria recomendada. Para la operación, Comer y Crecer depende de los donativos y patrocinios con los que cubren los costos; así mismo, una gran parte de la labor se debe al voluntariado de personas que están en contacto con los niños para transmitirles valores y hábitos de higiene y limpieza durante la comida.

En esta misma lógica, el Comedor Vicentino provee comida completa a un costo bajo de $35 pesos, además de salir a la ciudad para distribuir despensas a familias vulnerables y comida a personas en situación de calle. Otro de los actores involucrados es el Gobierno del Distrito Federal (GDF) a través del Programa de Comedores Comunitarios, cuyos objetivos son garantizar el derecho a la alimentación, atención prioritaria a personas en situación de vulnerabilidad social y mejorar las condiciones de salud y nutrición de la población. La intervención se basa en garantizar el derecho humano de la alimentación, por lo que a través de comedores comunitarios se asegura el acceso de forma regular y permanente al ofrecer comida completa con un costo de $10 pesos o comedores totalmente gratuitos en las zonas más marginadas. Más de 300 comedores comunitarios se encuentran distribuidos a lo largo de las 16 delegaciones del DF y son acondicionados y mantenidos por el GDF.

Otra de las estrategias que brindan acceso a la alimentación es a través del banco de alimentos Dame Para Ayudar A.C., miembro de la Asociación Mexicana de Banco de Alimentos, que implementa un modelo de gestión motivando a la solidaridad de las empresas y organizaciones (públicas, privadas y sociales) para rescatar los alimentos que se desperdician y distribuirlos entre comunidades marginadas. De acuerdo a Antonio Velasco, la operación del banco de alimentos es “a través de buscar fuentes de alimentos sanos que son susceptibles de ser donados; aquellos, por ejemplo, que pierden su vida en anaquel, que por la proximidad de su fecha de caducidad son retirados del puntos de venta, pero que se encuentran en buen estado y son comestibles." Los beneficiarios son seleccionados a través de un estudio socioeconómico y adquieren los alimentos al 10 por ciento de costo del valor en el mercado, el cual cubre los gastos de operación de la recolecta y distribución; para los beneficiarios que no pueden cubrir el costo económico, lo cubren a través de su trabajo durante un día.

Desde la sinergia de la acción ciudadana y el gran alcance de programas gubernamentales, es posible contrarrestar el hambre en la Ciudad de México por medio de la distribución de comida a través de comedores, entrega de despensas y bancos de alimentos.

Fotos: La Jornada y Agencia Informativa de la Izquierda Mexicana

Access to food for Mexico City's vulnerable populations

María Fernanda Carvallo, Mexico City Community Manager

Mexico City has a high level of income per capita, but the distribution of income is highly unequal. This high inequality is partly responsible for the 13.4 percent of Mexico City's population that suffers from malnutrition. According to the Consejo Nacional de Evaluación de la Política Social (the National Council for the Evaluation of Social Development Policy), this population is below the poverty line, and cannot afford the $1,177.04 pesos ($96.47 USD) that it takes, on average, to feed one person for a month.

Various actors in Mexico City implement solutions to help the poorest populations benefit from an adequate and nutritious diet. One of these actors is the civil-society organization Comer y Crecer (Eat and Grow), which aims to provide children living in extreme poverty with a balanced diet so that they can develop physically, intellectually, and emotionally. Comer y Crecer operates two community dining halls where more than 400 children enjoy a complete and balanced meal that meets 80 percent of nutrients' daily recommended intake. The organization depends on donations and sponsorships to cover their cost, and the majority of the labor is performed by volunteers, who also teach the children good hygiene and sanitary habits during their meal.

Similarly, the Comedor Vicentino (Vicentino Community Dining Hall) provides a full meal for less than $35 pesos ($2.87 USD). The organization also distributes packages of food to vulnerable families and delivers cooked meals to the homeless. The federal government is also involved, through the Programa de Comedores Comunitarios (Community Dining Hall Program). This program's objective is to guarantee the right to food, to provide urgent attention to those living in vulnerable social situations, and to improve the health and nutrition of the population. The government's intervention is based on ensuring the human right to food: public soup kitchens halls offer full meals for $10 pesos ($0.82 USD), or even for free in the most marginalized areas. There are currently over 300 soup kitchens maintained by the government throughout Mexico City's 16 administrative boroughs.

Another strategy to provide access to food is through food banks like Dame Para Ayudar A.C. (Give To Help, Civil Association), a member of the Asociación Mexicana de Banco de Alimentos (the Mexican Association of Food Banks). This organization implements a model that promotes solidarity by convincing the management of businesses and organizations (public, private and social) to rescue wasted food and to distribute it amongst marginalized communities. According to Antonio Velasco, food banks operate "by finding sources of healthy food that are acceptable for donation; for example, food that lost its shelf life and is pulled out of stores because it reaches the expiration date, but is still safe to eat." The beneficiaries are selected through a socio-economic study, and are then able to purchase the food at a cost of 10 percent of the market value (this covers the operational costs of collecting and distributing the food). For beneficiaries who cannot afford to pay, they can provide a day's work instead.

Thanks to citizen actions and the scope of government programs, it is possible to counteract hunger in Mexico City through the distribution of food in community dining halls, soup kitchens, the delivery of food packages, and food banks.

Fotos: La Jornada y Agencia Informativa de la Izquierda Mexicana