'Nutri Pathshala' Launched to Add Nutrition to India's School Feeding Program

The Nutri Pathshala, a HarvestPlus and Happel Foundation's HaNSA initiative, aims to improve India's school feeding program. On February 21, 2023, the program's first Nutri Pathshala was inaugurated in Tal. Purandar, Pune, Maharashtra, with the aim of reaching 2 million children.

Chef Natasha Gandhi of Master Chef fame, along with Arun Baral, CEO of HarvestPlus, inaugurated the first Nutrition School as part of the initiative. The programme is expected to improve India's school feeding program, with the ultimate aim of making India healthier.

The HaNSA (Health and Nutrition for School Age Children) initiative responds to the Government of India's nutrition strategy, emphasizing the need for food-based solutions to address nutrition insecurity. At the launch, keynote speakers, including Ravinder Grover, Regional Coordinator- Asia, Harvest Plus; Binu Cherian, Country Manager of HarvestPlus; Sammita Jadhav, Director of Symbiosis (SIHS), and Bharat More, Sarpanch of Sonori Village, all spoke passionately about the importance of this initiative.

Despite having one of the largest mid-day meal programs, over 40% of children in India still suffer from malnutrition. Ravinder Grover, Regional Coordinator- Asia, HarvestPlus, stated, “We are trying to make a positive impact through our initiative. Nutri Pathshala aims to give children equal access to nutritious food and education for a brighter and healthier future.”

Chef Natasha Gandhi of Master Chef said, “Nutri Pathshala is one such initiative that will help children aspire and achieve their dreams with a thali full of poshan.” The program is making nutritious choices an integral part of daily meals through initiatives like the Nutrition Diary and Nutri Buddy.

The program's innovative approach is set to improve the lives of millions of school-age children in India. Sammita Jadhav, Director, Symbiosis (SIHS), said, “I believe with this initiative, we are here to provide equally add-on nutritious food with the government's MDMS program for school-age children across the nation.”

The program aims to combat malnutrition among children in India by complementing the Government of India’s Mid-day Meal program with iron-rich millet and nutrition education for children in schools.