In the coastal village of Poblacion, in Burgos, Ilocos Norte, volunteer workers and private individuals join hands in promoting good nutrition among children aged zero to six years old.
Launched in 2011, the ‘Adopt-a-Child’ program of Barangay Poblacion continues to sponsor underweight children until their weight improves over time.
This year, Barangay Nutrition Scholars (BNS) had identified at least 12 underweight kids in the village who are currently being adopted by some foster parents.
Every day, these children are brought to the barangay hall and given one full nutritious meal for lunch together with multivitamins, milk and other food supplements.
The program was initiated by the village officials themselves who adopted one child each in 2011.
Over the past four years, the success of the program greatly depends on the parents who regularly bring their children to the Barangay Hall’s feeding session where the youngsters are monitored and given the routine services such as immunization and micronutrient supplementation.
By advocating proper nutrition and sponsoring feeding programs, the officials hope that they will succeed in eradicating malnutrition in the village.
The beneficiaries thanked their sponsors, especially balikbayans who sponsored underweight children every year. They said they will continue the project until their children achieve normal weight.