Hunger Action Month at Nielsen - Fighting food Insecurity

This post is written as the eighth in the series of A-to-Z challenge and a part of #1000speak. 

My series theme is "Compassion" and today's thought is based on "Hunger"

Statistics show that 805 million people in the world do not have enough food to lead a healthy life. The vast majority of the world's hungry people live in developing countries. Asia is the continent with the most hungry people - two thirds of the total. Poor nutrition causes nearly half (45%) of deaths in children under five - 3.1 million children each year. 66 million primary school-age children attend classes hungry across the developing world, with 23 million in Africa alone.

  

 Source: www.wfp.org

Hunger Action Month (HAM Nielsen) at  Nielsen

Nielsen is global information and Measurement Company providing fact based strategic insights to business world. Nielsen measures and monitors what consumers watch (media ratings) and what consumers buy (categories, brands, products) on a global and local basis.

Nielsen Cares is the global corporate social responsibility program. It aims towards a commitment to an uncommon impact on the various causes and initiatives. I am fortunate to be the country leader for Swedish Nielsen Cares team. We have four main focus areas –

1.  Education,
2. Technology,
3. Diversity & inclusion and
4. Hunger and nutrition.

Here we focus on talking about Hunger and nutrition. Nielsen associates around the world take action against hunger and create an impact during our annual Hunger Action Month (HAM) every September. Nielsen knows more about what people eat than anyone else, and we use our skills and capabilities to help end hunger and improve nourishment, globally. Nielsen is a collaborative partner with “Feeding America” and “World Food Program”, providing data and strategic information. Associates take part in fundrainsing activities for these organizations as well. (Read more at http://www.nielsen.com/eu/en/about-us/social-responsibility.html)

This year, Nielsen Sweden partnered with Stadmissionen (www.stadsmissionen.se) as a beneficiary. Stadsmissionen does important work to help the Stockholm homeless and needy, children and adults. We collected money and food cards, and donated them to Stadmissionen to be distributed to the families in need. The families in focus were the immigrant community, trying to establish themselves in this new country. Associates across the world participates in various activities like distributing food packets, feeding the poor children, cleaning up food kitchens, collecting food cans and distributing them to the needy etcetra.

Hunger cannot be understood till it is not felt. It is difficult to be in their shoes, to know how it feels when you are hungry for days, or famished and undernourished due to lack of food. By being empathetic towards the state of the hunger and malnutrition, we can create awareness, raise funds or volunteer by deeds and kinds.

The very moving video by Mary’s Meals below depicts how a large mass of population longs for morsel of food. How children have lost their childhood, and trying in vain to eat something, anything.

Check the following links for perusal.

www.wfp.org

www.freerice.com

www.greatergood.com

www.marymeals.com

www.feedingamerica.org

www.bhookh.com

Head to my fellow blogger, Deepa Duraisamy posts. Her theme for this year's AtoZ is "Weddings".  

Friends and Food - Thomasite Style

While thinking about writing on letter F, the first thing which came to my mind, or what would come in any of our minds would be “friends”. School friends. I am sure we can have a triology release about friendship tales in school. A small blog post cannot justify “friendship” memories. Therefore, I tried to extract a part of my memory. A summary of tales about “Friends and Food”.

As primary grade student, we were naïve. We started learning about relationships. Friendships. Those were the days, when I recall having a picnic lunch, a potluck as we adults prefer to call it. Venue used to be the school playground. A similar potluck was organized for the Christmas party as well.

As I grew up, and started middle school, the bonds of friendships grew stronger. There was no inhibition, no portrayals, no dramatization of the real self. It was pure, open simple, transparent – friendship. It still is. I am lucky.

In the pic: Class X C, 1995. One of the most notorious, yet loved my teachers. Mrs Rowena Gideon was our class teacher. Much about her in my later posts. :)

Class 7/8, year 1993. The lunch hours started witnessing commotion. No one was eating their own food. Atleast 8 hungry girls on each lunch box. Potluck became a daily routine. One chappati, split in 6 bites, fed six different mouths. This was just to exemplify the extent.

Astha’s mom used to make delicious tehri/ pulao. It was a plain dish – white rice, chane ki dal, with zeera and ghee tadka. Amazingly awesome. Astha used to get a big box of this. During lunchtime, a helping of this delicacy was put in the lunch box cover and handed over to me. The rest was gobbled up be the rest of the class.

Bharti Agarwal (love you honey!!) and her yummy bhujia patties – one was booked for me even before the box opened. And that was the only way I used to eat bhujia (Haldiram bhujia). I swear I never eat bhujia, neither then nor now. I don’t recall what used to be the contents of my lunch box, for I have never seen it. It was seen by my besties. I will ask them if they have any memory of what mum used to pack.

This food business slowly relinquished. Instead carrying food was considered oh so old fashioned. Unfortunately, not all could afford eating in the canteen everyday. So what was the way out. So simple, eat nothing, just have fun. After all lunch breaks are not meant to waste time. It is meant to do stuff which makes you famous or sometimes notorious. I stopped eating lunch from class 9 onwards. All I used to do was – teenage fun. Vandana Bhatia was my mentor, my guide – “Calling trouble by being naughty: for dummies”. Bhatia, please spare Sia from the mayhem you put me into so many times.

Bharti used to hand me the patty twice a week, which was sufficient for my tummy ad our friendship. We are still good friends, haven’t met for long, oh really long.

Mental note: Need to plan up with VB and BA soon.

Disclaimer: Astha, Vandy and Bharti are not the only ones who fed me/ unfed me, they are just top of my mind. For the sheer love in my heart for the three of you, your name showcases here. Feel proud girls. 

This post is dedicated to the A-to-Z blogging challenge - the largest Blog Challenge in the history of Blogkind. My selected theme is "memories of St. Thomas' "- my Alma mater. This is the sixth post of the challenge, and is linked to the letter F - F for friends and food. 

Linking this post to UBC too. 

The Canteen Saga

My school, St. Thomas’, has three buildings – Nursery (nursery and kindergarten), junior school (std 1 to std 6) and senior school (std 6 to std 12). Nursery and junior school are in the same compound, in Karol Bagh (New Delhi). The senior school is situated on Mandir Marg (Gol Market, New Delhi). I have spent a good 14 years at STS, therefore I remember all details of these three buildings. Classes, halls, receptions, principal’s room, playgrounds (and the swings), lost property shelves, book stores, sickrooms, corridors, courtyards and ofcourse the canteens.

The Canteen!!

Junior school canteen was like a two sides open verandah, with brick and mortar tables and benches, all in pastel red. It was pretty huge, and had a very strong asbestos roof. After school it used to convert into a parents waiting area. I remember my mom waiting there for me.

Raphael, the junior school canteen owner. I never saw him free. He was always busy, running on his feet. I have no memories of Raphael smiling, or enjoying (except on the Christmas party when he used to get the gift from Santa). I just remember him serving food, collecting money, helping his aids in cooking and cleaning. He used to supply lunch for Nursery and KG children as well. I distinctly remember a few of the menu items for the nursery wing –

• One small samosa with plain potato filling. Only salt within.
• One idli – no chutney, no sambhar
• One slice of musk melon, mango or half a banana
• Juice (I don’t recall what kind of juice, but some drink in colorful plastic glasses used to  be served)

The junior school menu was not so bland. Infact, it was delicious. I don’t think I have even eaten tastier samosas.

• 4 samosas for two rupees, served with the world’s best Raphael recipe chutney. Awesome is an understatement.
• There was idli and dosa, with the best sambhar I have ever eaten.
• I think there was chhole bhature as well, but honestly, I don’t recall anything other than his samosas and idlis. To die for.

The senior school had a beautiful octagonal two floored red brick building. The ground floor was our canteen. It was done in red hues as well. Colorful collages hung on its walls. The furniture had a contemporary feel, octagon tables with colorful lamination printed of graffiti art. (I love my memory). There were two doors which were always open, a main door used as exit, huge, with double glass doors and a single door small entrance. Well, the entry and exit doors were identified by the school cabinet (details in later posts)

Peter, the senior school canteen owner (I smile here), was a man with less words. He was the “owner”, of the canteen, and he had set some rules for the canteen queue and ways of eating in the canteen. The cabinet team was “supposed” to monitor the students follow these rules. Alas!! In the peak hours, there could be double queues. No plates and cold drink bottles go out of the canteen premises. No messing up with sambhar and chhole. If you drop food, clean it before leaving. 

And a lot more. (Now, I doubt the love for my memory). 

Rules, are meant to be broken. And broken without noise. The entry and exit doors were used interchangeably, depending on the comfort. Plates are bottles were never carried out through the doors, the windows came to the rescue. The double queue used to be a planned mishap. Peter tried to introduce token system in the canteen, just to keep it organized. It did work, as far as I remember. 

I can go on and on. Memories, I love thee.

The senior school canteen was 10% food, and 90% non food. A lot of additional side activities could be witnessed in the canteen. (PS: Before your mind starts running, we are talking about a convent school). From pranks, to birthday treats, to dance preparations, song practice, election campaigns: the canteen used to double up as everything that comes to our mind except food at studies. Peter never objected to any of this. He enjoyed with us. Good old Peter, he had trouble in walking, used a walking stick. I hope he feels better now.

Just to add, one rule which was never broken by any of the STSer, neither in the junior canteen nor in the senior canteen, was: keeping away the dirty dishes. This is imbibed as a STS culture, in all of us, all Thomasites. 

This post is dedicated to the A-to-Z blogging challenge - the largest Blog Challenge in the history of Blogkind. My selected theme is "memories of St. Thomas' "- my Alma mater. This is the third post of the challenge, and is linked to the letter C - C for Canteen.

  

Linking this post to UBC too. 

Secret Santa loves his treats, @ Aishwaryaeats

Its that time of the year again - when the dark engulfs you at three pm and everything around you is snow clad. Along with the gloom, are the stars and lights in every window (almost like Diwali),  colorful scented candles at every corner of the room, cozy warmth of the couch, wine and warm food. 

And then comes Christmas, the birth of our savior, Lord Jesus. 

The joy of christmas is associated with happiness and love - hymns, mass, prayers, the christmas tree, presents, Secret Santa Claus, Rudolf and christmas dinners - turkey, cake, sausages, wine and lots more.  

This is a secret Santa post, the idea of which originated from www.indiblogeshwaris.com, where I am proud member. Interested bloggers were allotted a blog to review. 

And I proudly present the food blog of Aishwarya Lahiri, the Masterchef and our very own Perky Angel Eyes indiblogeshwari- www.aishwaryaeats.com

The blog is all about the love of food, which Aishwarya carries in her heart. the blog has recipes, restaurant reviews, and some posts about "the rest". Each post has a signature, Aishwarya style. 

For someone with a sweet tooth, (I finished half a bounty and a bar of dark chocolate already), the blog is irresistible. Recipe posts focus on a lot of sweet stuff - all for the love of desserts and baking. (75% posts to be precise). The recipes are a delight to read, written in first person narrative and penned in a very easy to understand and easy to cook manner. Ingredients used are easy to procure. The posts are given full justice with elaborate and colorful pictures, watermarked as "Aishwaryaeats". 

There are some tempting posts of food, and my personal favorite is 

http://www.aishwaryaeats.com/2013/04/shell-pasta-in-creamy-white-sauce-with.html

Coming to the restaurant reviews, it is important to mention here, that Aishwarya is a member of Bloggers table on the very popular "Chef at Large". The reviews are professional, supported with pictures of raw materials used in the restaurant kitchen, the actual cooking process, the presentation of food on the table and everything which would or would not pull the reader to the reviewed place. 

My favorite again is http://www.aishwaryaeats.com/2012/11/espresso-grill-bloggers-table-fun.html. 

This maybe because for the love of my home town, dilli meri jaan,  Connaught Place and ofcourse the restaurant under review. 

Aishwarya has some personal reviews (non CAL posts), which focus on Pune and Delhi food junctions. 

A few posts, here and there, seem to speak the foodie's heart - with focus on the love for food and family - parents and grandparents. As they truly say, food cooked with love is much much tastier than any spread at any Michelin star restaurants. 

I, as a reader, would love to read a lot more posts from the talented Media planner who cooks with all her heart. I couldn't do much justice to the blog, but I hope the cheeky post title, will pull the Santa to your blog again and again and again..  

Wishing Aishwarya Lahiri all the best for a wonderful journey called life. 

And in the end I would love to say - 

Joy to the world,

The Lord has come,

Let earth receive her king,

Let every heart, prepare him room

And heaven and nature sing..

Merry Christmas!!