🍽️ The’food aid for children is now one of the world's major humanitarian emergencies. Millions of children are growing up without regular access to sufficient, healthy and balanced food. As a result, hunger weakens their health, limits their ability to learn and permanently compromises their future.
Furthermore, hunger is not simply a matter of “not having enough food”. It also causes deficiencies, fatigue, repeated infections and great emotional fragility. So every meal distributed protects a child today... and increases their chances tomorrow.
Understanding child hunger around the world
🌍 Globally, the situation remains alarming. According to international data, more than 148 million children suffer from stunted growth due to child malnutrition. In addition, approximately 45 million children suffer from acute malnutrition, a severe form that directly threatens their lives. In other words, child hunger remains one of the primary factors of vulnerability among children under five.
Secondly, certain countries are disproportionately affected by this crisis. For example, in India, tens of millions of children are stunted. Similarly, in Nigeria and in RDC, Prolonged crises expose entire families to food insecurity. In these contexts, one simple action makes a real difference: providing regular meals, thereby stabilising health and schooling.
Madagascar: a lasting nutritional emergency
🇲🇬 Madagascar is one of the countries most affected by child hunger. Indeed, the country suffers from repeated droughts, cyclones, structural poverty and fragile food systems. As a result, the Greater South, South-East and certain areas of the Highlands remain permanently affected.
Recent figures confirm the urgency. According to analyses by the’IPC Madagascar, approximately 357,900 children (6–59 months) suffer or are at risk of suffering from acute malnutrition, of which more than 83,000 children in severe acute malnutrition. Furthermore, the CPI indicates more than a million people in acute food insecurity in the areas analysed. In other words, hunger in Madagascar is not a temporary crisis: it is becoming a long-term issue.
🎒 However, a meal changes everything. Firstly, a child who eats better is less likely to fall ill. Secondly, they can concentrate better. Finally, they attend school more regularly.
School meals: an effective and measurable solution
🎒 The school meals are among the most effective responses. They stabilise school attendance and provide direct relief to families. In addition, they give children the energy they need to learn.
In Madagascar, programmes supported by the World Food Programme have provided meals to more than 385,000 children in more than 1,200 state schools. School meals thus become a real “safety net” for children and their entire families.
Helping Hands: our food aid initiative in Madagascar (Antsirabé)
🤝 Helping Hands takes concrete action for the’food aid for children, with a simple approach: feed, protect, and enable learning. Thus, in Madagascar, particularly around’Antsirabé, We support food initiatives designed to guarantee at least one regular meal for the most vulnerable children.
🍲 We prioritise meals that are suitable for children's ages and seek realistic solutions. In addition, whenever possible, we favour buying locally in order to support the local economy and limit supply disruptions.
📦 Next, we organise the logistics: transporting food, storage, distribution and local coordination. In other words, we fund the meal... but also everything that goes into getting it onto a child's plate.
🔎 To follow our mission, you can visit the page Helping Hands and our actions taken. In addition, we also publish our information on the page financial transparency.
The actual cost of a meal in Antsirabé
💡 You asked me to add the actual cost. I suggest a clear, “convincing” block with a simple calculation.
(As prices vary depending on the season and supply, I am writing this in a way that transparent and credible, with a realistic range and a method.)
🍛 Average cost of a full meal for a child (Antsirabé)
A meal usually consists of: an energy base (rice/pasta/corn), a portion of protein (egg/legumes/fish depending on availability), vegetables, and sometimes fruit.
Here is what a meal actually covers:
🥣 Ingredients : €0.45 to €0.85
🔥 Cooking (gas/coal) + water : €0.05 to €0.12
📦 Logistics (transport/storage/losses) : €0.05 to €0.15
🧼 Basic hygiene (washing, consumables) : €0.02 to €0.06
✅ Realistic total per meal: €0.57 to €1.18
👉 To simplify and communicate clearly, we use a reference point: €1 = 1 meal (rounded objective, easy to understand).
📅 Example of a monthly target (school canteen)
50 children × 20 school days = 1,000 meals per month
At €1 per meal = €1,000 per month to provide one meal per day for one school month
🎯 This objective enables clear communication: “With €10, you can fund 10 meals.”
Above all, it makes the impact immediate: you can see exactly what the donation achieves.
Emergency food aid: when swift action is needed
🚨 During acute crises (cyclones, shortages, local instability), we provide emergency food aid. First, we target the most vulnerable children. Next, we distribute food parcels or ready-to-eat meals. Finally, we stabilise families until a sustainable solution can be found.
In this way, we prevent a child's nutritional status from deteriorating.
Why your donation helps a child immediately
💚 A donation funds meals, but not only that. It also funds logistics, continuity, and therefore regularity. And regularity changes everything: a child needs a stable meal, day after day, to rebuild themselves.
👉 You can support the campaign now: make a donation.
In addition, you can share our actions or organise a collection. This way, you can multiply the impact.
Transparency: where does the money go?
🔎 Helping Hands guarantees transparent management. We publish detailed information on how donations are used and the actions we take. To find out more, visit our page. financial transparency.
Together, let's reduce child hunger
✨ The’food aid for children is not an option. It protects health, strengthens schools and restores hope for the future. In Madagascar, as elsewhere, every meal counts. So, together, we can reduce child hunger and give children the conditions they need to grow and learn with dignity.
👉 Take action now to support child nutrition: make a donation.
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