Children in Meghalaya, particularly in the school-going age are prone to malnutrition, stunted growth and micronutrient deficiency. To address these problems, the “Linking Schools to Agrobiodiversity for Improved diets, Nutrition, and Livelihoods” initiative was launched by NESFAS. The objective of this initiative was to make healthy, nutritious, and diverse balanced diets increasingly accessible through school meals. It aimed at procuring at least one-third of the ingredients for the school meals either locally or from accessing the school gardens. The project would also create opportunities or increasing the income of the local farmers by promoting locally sourced ingredients in Mid Day Meals. Wild edibles were also incorporated into the meals, which could be locally sourced. The pilot project that was launched for six months at Ladmawphlang on May 2022 saw the participation of 31 school teachers along with 5 MDM cooks from the schools that were part of the project. Prior to launching of the project, it was found that school meals consisted of only rice, dal and potato, which fell under only two food groups – pulses and starchy staples. Through the intervention of this project, the cooks were rigorously trained by experts. Thereafter, with the support of NESFAS, five food groups were incorporated into the school meals for a wholesome and balanced nutrition for the students.
