Every child needs good health. That’s not even a debate-clean point. In a country like India, where the majority of the population still lives in the rural parts, it is extremely difficult to find individuals who are physically, mentally, and psychologically fit and fine. Every day, more than 20,000 people are diagnosed with diseases that still have no cure in the medical field, and there are still many deaths in rural areas that could have been averted had proper treatment been made accessible to those in need. Of all the age groups where such life-threatening diseases can become dreadful, childhood and adolescence are the most sensitive one as this is the age when one begins to experience development in various aspects of his life—physically, mentally, and psychologically.

It is quite unfortunate that many children under the age of 14 are victims of malnutrition. It has been observed after carrying out multiple surveys and reports that multiple kids do not get proper vitamins, minerals, fats, and carbohydrates in their growing years, and this stumps their physical and mental growth. Many kids also suffer from diseases like anaemia, goitre, and other deadly deformities just because their parents are not aware of the free medical services available for them. Children are the future of any nation, and for India, its rural population is the backbone on which it thrives. If the children are malnourished and are not getting even the basic nutrition they need to lead a healthy life, it is indeed worrisome.

What needs to be understood here is that helping children does not provide any money, resources, or agility in reaching out to them. This is what one needs in order to ensure that children get what they want, and that too, at the right time. Most of the time, food hygiene is not maintained, and that has a direct impact on the health of children. Moreover, most of the time, people in rural areas are forced to drink contaminated water, which brings with it a litany of diseases that still don’t have any cure in medical science. It is indeed disappointing that, though the government is also aware of the major hazards of the unhygienic environment to the health of the children, not many constructive steps have been taken in this direction.

Keeping all these factors in consideration, Geetanjali Cares, a non-profit organisation, has been endeavouring to join hands with some of the well-recognised governmental and public institutions that can ensure healthy food distribution in rural areas. In addition to the multiple schemes run by the government, it is equally important for us as a society to come together and help these malnourished and impoverished children lead a healthy and happy life.