One child at a time

• ·                 Ancient cavemen who lived thousands of years ago had no agriculture techniques. They had no fertilizers or pesticides. No satellites or radios to tell them if it's going to rain the next day. They had to find food on a daily basis. They would have constantly worried about finding food the next day. They moved across the land in search of food. 

  Now we have various agriculture techniques. We can farm round the year. We know when will it rain and when will it snow. We know if a cyclone is coming two weeks before. We have various organic and chemical fertilizers. Pests can be controlled. Then why do we still have people who have to find food on a daily basis? Why do children have to move across the land to work for food? What is the use of having everything yet having so many starving people on Earth?

  
  

  India is one the leading countries in the ‘hunger situation’. That itself is a cruel irony as India has 7^th largest land mass in the world. Still we lag behind other countries in basic necessity of humankind. Our children face the same problem people faced thousands of years ago. For our present generation the advances in science and technology mean nothing as long as he is hungry. The socio-political changes will not affect him till his hunger is satisfied. He will not sit and study when he is hungry.

  

  
  

  The ancient nomads settled down when they started farming. And so taking a lesson from this ancient history I suggest we start a small farm with every school. Let the students grow and cultivate locally grown fruits and vegetables. This will provide a constant and non-exhaustible source for meals. Since it is meant for immediate consumption preservatives need not be added.  

   Anything that is extra can be given back to the students only to take it home. They can also sell the extra products and make an additional income. In this way a well maintained farm in a school can make a community self sufficient. Local farmers can come forward to guide the students also. Involvement of more experts in the field will lead to better results. 

  This will also provide the student with a firsthand experience in agriculture. In future also he/she can make their own food in their backyards. 

  Self sufficiency in food is one of the most important steps in development.

  
  

   I am going to #BlogToFeedAChild with Akshaya Patra and BlogAdda.

  
  

  
  

  (Many thanks to fellow blogger and author Dr.Roshan Radhakrishnan for the tag. I was in a long hiatus from the blogosphere but this topic got to me.)