A doctor in Tonga is feeding children in his area after discovering half of the local primary school children were going without breakfast.
Transcript
A doctor in Tonga is feeding children in his area after discovering half of the local primary school children were going without breakfast.
Taniela Palu says around 150 children take part in the breakfast programme and more could be on the way.
Dr Palu told Koro Vaka'uta what triggered it.
TANIELA PALU: My granddaughter goes to the local government primary school of Kolomotu'a and she usually comes home and tells us, 'oh I feel sorry for the children, my friends, they ask for my lunch and we share, and there are so many of them'. And this kept repeating and she comes home and her lunch pack gets bigger. Then one day, by surprise, she brings some of her friends home for lunch. So we all decided, OK Alamea, that's the name of my granddaughter, we'll do something.
KORO VAKA'UTA: So how many children are you feeding and how regularly?
TP: Two days a week. Tuesday and Thursday. The number of children are just building, now it averages about 150 but the school number is about 320.
KV: How do you fund this? It must cost a lot.
TP: God funds it. I believe that. Anyway Koro, I quickly contacted Sanitarium in Auckland and they gave me a very good price and I buy corn flakes and weetbix. They give me a good price and that's how I can afford it at the moment. The milk, I just buy it locally here in Tonga.
KV: You're a medical professional so obviously you know the importance of or you feel the importance of children eating breakfast.
TP: It's a programme, first of all, for the disadvantaged children. They must have breakfast before their school starts. It's a nutritious breakfast. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. There is the evidence the development of the brain and physically for the children is very important and having a hearty cereal breakfast is one of the recommended meals for children of that age.
KV: So you are dealing with the issue in Kolomotu'a but is it more wide-ranging than this? Is it a bigger issue across Tonga?
TP: It is a big issue across Tonga and one of the things that I hope, that other communities and their schools would come up with something (like this).
KV: Does the government need to do more?
TP: Certainly, I hope.
KV: Is it a concern that this programme could be taken advantage of? That parents are kind of abdicating from their own responsibilities to feed their children?
TP: I am prepared but I don't think people will abuse the programme. About half of the school children come for the breakfast. It just started of course and I hope that other parents will encourage their children to come. Certainly it is the reality of life in Tonga, in communities like ours here, people cannot all afford what is required to support their families. I am just glad to help.
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