A child’s first bite of food is celebrated among families around the world. It marks a new phase of discovery – new tastes, textures and smells. A nutritious diet in early childhood has the power to shape a healthier future for a child, helping to build a strong immune system, fuel a growing body and nourish a developing brain.
Families want to feed their children the nutritious food they need to grow up healthy. But there are big barriers to doing so.
Jony Doe
Recruiting charity trustees
Sadly, millions of young children across the globe are missing out on the benefits of a nutritious diet due to a combination of factors, including a broken food system, the COVID-19 pandemic, families struggling to find and afford nutritious foods, increasing poverty, and mounting time pressures on mothers.
Shreya turns “climate warrior”
Yet change is possible. Even in the poorest contexts, families are finding ways to provide diverse meals that provide the energy, protein, vitamins, minerals and other nutrients needed to fuel growing bodies and brains and keep children healthy, active and strong.
Children like Shreya are all over the world and are demanding more from world leaders. And it’s time we listened. The world must recognize and stand with children, acknowledging their voices, activism and leadership in the climate movement. There is an urgent need. Their lives are at stake.
Time to listen and to act
I have been actively involved in raising awareness, influencing policymakers, and taking climate action. In 2017, I participated in the National Youth Conference on Climate Change organized by the Nepalese Youth for Climate Action (NYCA). The conference motivated me to join the network and make a collective impact. Since then, I have been working with NYCA, a youth-led coalition of the Nepalese youth and youth groups tackling the climate crisis, which is the biggest challenge of our generation.