"A Child, A Million smile😊 Sustainable Feeding Program For School Children In Nigeria (Week#4)

Dated: 7th February, 2025
School: Fear God Nursery and Primary and Divine God
Location: Ifa Ikot Idang Rd, Uyo
Sponsors: @steemkidss and @worldsmile
Estimated population: 150 pupils
Team members: @ngoenyi, @benton3, @okere-blessing, @nsijoro, @whizzbro4eva, @kidi40, @alli001, @whitie, @bessie2023 and @bossj23

It was a wednesday morning and I had an exams to write that day. I was about missing this charity programme as the photographer of the programme but I couldn't because I learn from the smiles of these children on a weekly basis. I get to understand how they feel and get to hear how grateful they are when opportunities are extended to them.

All schools need help but not all school children needs help. This particular school is one reserved school in a neighbouring village to my village. From the look of things, it's a private school and a private school where fee is cheap. Not every parent have money to send their children to the best private school or want their children to be loose when they attend public schools. The establishment of institutions like this helps the less privileged parents to afford fees even though it seems local but has a bit of civilization.

Why we visited the school? If you noticed, some children are from parents that can really afford from their dressing and grooming. There's no uniformity in wears because of the expense of purchasing them. So they allow children what they have to receive education. I can remember visiting a school and saw a pupil sleep while class was ongoing.

I gently tapped and asked why. The pupil said he hasn't eaten since morning and his parents said since he's returning home by 12pm, he'll come back and eat. How sad! So we went out as Steemians to carry out the charitable programme of putting smiles on the faces of these children with the consent or approval of their parents.

Morning food helps a lot in enriching the brain and making a child lively in class. When this is missed, a child becomes dull and reserved. To those children who are malnourished, barely eat nutritious food in the morning or not even eat at all as they was the complaints, we made them smile during the break time

Food Used

Fried Rice	Chicken
Cucumber	Disposable plate

With the help of @ngoenyi, fried rice was prepared in her place to share with these children. To enrich the quality of their food, proteins in the form of chicken and cucumber as vitamins were added and contained in cullers for distribution in the school. Disposable plates were taken as well to contain this food for each pupil. Two sizeable cullers were filled to brime to ensure that the children are happy.

Distribution

We got to the school by 10:30Am as that is the time they do have break for the kids. They came out in their numbers looking hungry as hungry people can't smile. This is a fact. You can't easily make someone that's hungry flow with you except you give the person food before he comes back to his senses. They pupils were told to line up to avoid disorderliness. As they lined up, the rice were contained in these take away plates with chicken and cucumber and given to the children who went back to their classroom with a big smile on their faces.

The school is a new school though that's why the population isn't that numerous as other schools we visited. They are gradually growing in size. After distribution, we waited to hear from one of the pupils and teacher to know what they think about the charitable programme done in their school. The pupils were busy consuming their foods that they couldn't say a word. The smile on their faces spoke millions of words. With a grateful heart, they said Thank you as we were about taking our leaves.

This was the first school we visited in that area. The name of the school is **Fear God

Quoting from the proprietor, she said: "I want to thank you so much for coming to our school. Thank you @worldsmile and @steemkidss for putting smiles on the faces of our children. May the Almighty bless all of you in Jesus name. Amen."

We were honoured by the appreciating spirit and not viewing it as an entitlement. Joy came and is gone. We'll try as much as possible to reach out to all those who really need these smiles. We pray for capability, strength and long life to continue this work. Up next was Divine Wisdom International School.

We Visited Divine Wisdom School

I would say that there's a large similarity between the first school and the second in structure, being a new school and one that accommodates children whose parents can't afford to pay high fees or purchase uniforms. It's a private school no doubt and this is one of the reasons why most parents in rural areas choose not to send their children there because of the expenses they'll incur.

They rather send them to public schools were fees aren't paid. You just have to sew uniform for your child. How was this charitable programme done in this school successfully? We did the same thing there by telling the children line up for order purpose and then distributed to them individually. These children too weren't smiling or happy but after they had gotten these food, their countenance changed for the better.

This is the very essence of making children smile as they'll be sound in mind now, knowing they have eaten a nutritious food. They'll never forget this act of kindness done in their school. The proprietress gave some words of thanks to us for showing up in her school. We parted ways and they all waved at us with grateful hearts. Up next is the Pangrace international school which you'll see soon in my blog. These are some pictures.

	During Distribution

Conclusion

Every child must smile to improve lifespan. Someone told me that the more you smile, the younger you become and the less you smile, the older you become. Situations in life has made many unable to smile. These situations includes; family inability to provide, rural life mentality and inability to see a well-paying job to survive. One 7 year old boy told me how he usually come to school having palm kernel and Garri as breakfast.

This would sustain him till evening when Soup is cooked in the house. Asides affecting a child's smile because of the level of hunger or malnutrition, the mental health and the functionality of the brain is at stake as some parents can't help it. You needed to see the broadest smile from these children which was different before distribution of the food. Some needed extra which we gave. From time to time, we'll recheck those schools we already visited.

A child's smile is the broadest smile. Make a child smile in your area. It may not be materially alone but also through play.

Reporter;
@bossj23