Mid-Day Meals Come Home As Kerala Shuts Anganwadis Over Coronavirus

Baby Girija, 59, and 58-year-old Nandini, teachers at two Anganwadis in Kerala's Thiruvananthapuram, are in a hurry in the morning though the children have been asked to stay at home by the Kerala government as a precautionary measure to contain the coronavirus.

In Kerala, around 26,000 children are under the mid-day meal scheme of  33,115 anganwadi centres. The state government has closed all school till class VII as a precautionary measure against the coronavirus.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has, however, said that food will be made available to all the anganwadi children at their homes.

Baby Girija is seen dividing the portions of food items for 18 of her students, which she has to deliver to their homes -- all located near the centre.

"Since the children are not coming here, we have been asked to take the food to them. So, for 17 days, each child is being given 255 gm of pulses, 120 gm of wheat, 170 gm peanuts, 55 gm oil and 180 am jaggery. Twice a week, they get payasam (a dessert), that's why we are giving jaggery too," Baby Girija said, smiling.

As she sets out to give the first batch of food for the day, the first to greet her is a 4-year-old, Salvin.

Surprised to see her at his home, he is all smiles, following her and holding on to her hand and looking curiously at the camera.

Baby Girija hands over the food to the child in the presence of an adult member of the family and leaves with a kiss and a wave to the child.

A 10-minute walk away, Nandini I, is handing over another kit to 11-year-old Harini - a kit meant for adolescent girls. 

"For adolescent girls, we are supplying 1.7 kg of wheat, 170 gm of peanuts, 110 gm of oil and 300 gm jaggery".

"Depending on the distance and the number of students attending the anganwadi centre, either raw food materials or cooked food is being given," Biju Prabhakar, the director of the Social Justice Department, told NDTV.