In a heart warming story, the teachers and parents of Gelegphu Lower Secondary School have teamed up to provide lunch to some nine students who come from socially disadvantaged families.
The school started feeding these students after mid-term break this year. There is a reason why they are doing so. The school carried out a survey of the students who performed poorly in the mid-term exams to find out what is preventing them from doing well.
The survey found out that these students come from families that are either poor or has some other problems. It is for them that the free lunch was started. “We came to know that these students did not do well because they did not show up at school regularly,” said Kinzang Dorji, the school’s principal.
“They have problems at home because of which they were not able to afford to bring packed lunch.”
It is hoped the initiative will encourage these students to come to school regularly and study well. The lunch is sponsored by the school’s Tarayana Club. The parents and businessmen are doing their bit by contributing ration including vegetables.
Five parents have volunteered to be the cooks. Karma Sonam is one of them. “I have a child studying at the school,” she said.
“Even if I stay home, I have not many things to do. So, I thought why not cook for these children.”
“I have to anyway accompany my child to school and stay here the whole day, so I decided to do something helpful,” said Karma Yangzom, another volunteer cook.
The school’s principal says they are not just putting food on the students’ table but also ensuring what they are being fed is nutritious. “They are served eggs twice a week,” he said.
