Preschool Nutrition Centers

Nearly half of all preschoolers in Sri Lanka are malnourished, as a country suffers from chronic malnutrition in the world. The communities, who lives in north central province disproportionately affected by malnutrition, where up to 35% of children under five may be malnourished. Undernourishment during the early years of development can cause these children to suffer lifelong physical and cognitive impairments that are often irreversible. Children who are poorly nourished are more susceptible to illness and early death and may suffer up to 160 days of illness each year. Long term effects of chronic malnutrition include stunting as well as an increase in the likelihood of premature death, and a higher risk of disease including heart disease, diabetes and kidney damage.

Malnutrition is not only detrimental to a child’s health but can also affect their performance in school, making them more likely to drop out. Nutritional deficiencies also have long-term negative effects on brain and nerve development and function, which results in lower IQs and poorer performance at school as well as affecting physical movement and social skills. Additionally, failure to grow and reduced body size can also result in a lower physical capacity and energy for work as an adult, which in turn affects the capacity to earn a living. Girls who are malnourished and grow into stunted or underweight women continue the cycle of malnutrition when they have children, as they give birth to small babies.

The average Sri Lankan families in rural communities investing up to 70% of their income in order to eat. Still, many families are unable to provide adequate nutrition for their children. In order to address this high prevalence of malnutrition in the Anuradhapura district in north central province of Sri Lanka,Child Education Development has established three pre-school Nutritional Centers in the area where we served.

These centers provide children aged three to five-years-old with:

• A healthy meal and a nutritious snack daily
• Multi-vitamin supplements
• Lessons in basic hygiene
• Regular monitoring and evaluation of each child’s nutritional status

To support our vital work and keep these pre-schools open, there are several ways that you can support us:

• Sponsor one of our preschoolers through the Student Scholarship Program
• Give a general donation to our Pre-school Program via the  support a program interface. This will provide much needed support to keep our preschools running including costs towards food, electricity, salaries, learning equipment and operational costs.

For more information please contact info@childeducationdevelopment.org