Every student of Wolathang Primary School in Punakha has to walk a minimum of one hour to reach the school. After a long, back and forth, walk to school and home these students are tired and hungry. Since many of them come from economically disadvantaged families, for whom coming up with two squares of meals a day is next to impossible, these small children often go hungry in school.
Kencho Bidha, a class six student at Wolathang Primary School brings stale food to school. As she has to start early to school there never is enough time and resources to cook.
She has to walk six hours every day, three hours to school and another three coming back home.
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But things are going to change for better now. The school has come up with a feeding programme. The Parents and civil servants who are from Wolathang and working in other Dzongkhags have volunteered to provide the essentials for the feeding programme.
The school’s Principal, Chimi Tshewang, explained that some students carry stale food which makes them ill. “Some students spill food on the way to school and some lose their lunch boxes which sometimes even lead to absenteeism.” The Principal said even if they come to school they are cannot concentrate in the class as much as they are hungry.