By Shyam Adhikari, Advocacy & Campaign Manager, WVI Nepal
There was a time when my mother was away, and I had nothing to eat at home. I felt like I would eat anything I could get my hands on. – Child Participant
Interactive Activities for Children
The Children’s Workshop enabled children to express their thoughts through interactive activities like games, storytelling, and drawing. The Nutrition Dialogues Portal provided all the resources needed to assist us in running the workshop.
Challenges Highlighted by the Children
- Lack of awareness about nutrition and nutritious food available in their community.
- Poverty and limited knowledge of how to grow diverse crops.
- Impact of early marriage and pregnancy, leaving young mothers unable to provide proper care and nutrition.
One 16-year-old shared the story of her friend, who was married at 14 and left alone with a newborn, unable to provide enough food for her child.
Advocating for Solutions
The children’s insights were sobering, as they advocated for:
- Agricultural training for families.
- Access to better seeds.
- Expanded school meal programmes.
- Raising awareness about locally available nutritious food.
We know eating one type of food isn’t enough, but there is no nutrition available when the economic condition of our homes is poor. – Child Participant
Creative Expressions and Advocacy
The children also drew pictures of what an ideal, well-nourished community would look like, and wrote letters to local leaders, calling for solutions to transform their communities.
What You Can Do
Breaking the cycle of malnutrition isn’t something we can do alone — we need your help. By joining forces, we can push for real change that impacts the lives of children and their communities.
Whether you’re a government representative, a donor, part of civil society, or simply someone who wants to make a difference, your voice matters. Together, we can ensure that the most vulnerable are heard and that no child has to go to school hungry.
One important milestone is the upcoming Nutrition for Growth Summit in Paris in March 2025. This global event is a chance for all of us to advocate for ambitious and accountable action. But it doesn’t stop there — we need ongoing conversations, workshops, and solutions that focus on the needs of children like those in Nepal.
For more information, sign up to the Nutrition Dialogues Portal. We urge the global community to hold workshops like this to better understand the realities faced by children and their communities.
