Foundation introduces nutrition program with Pasay grade schoolers
Grade schoolers of Gotamco Elementary School pose for a photo with Okada Foundation President James Lorenzana, Kabisig ng Kalahi Founder Vicky Wieneke, and other guests at the launching ceremony of Complementary Nutrition Program.
Sixty school children from an elementary school in Pasay City were chosen to be the beneficiaries of a feeding program on Thursday, during the launching ceremony of the Complementary Nutrition Program initiated by the Okada Foundation, Inc. (OFI), and its partner organization Kabisig ng Kalahi, Inc. (KnK)
The Complementary Nutrition Program that launched in Gotamco Elementary School introduces one of the first projects from a series of poverty alleviation and food-share initiatives that OFI seeks to support and expand through its P25-million grant for KnK signed last year.
Through the program, the school was able to secure a supply of 240 kilos of milk for undernourished school children and supplement their nutritional requirements.
“There is an established connection between a child’s nutrition and their academic performance and success in school, and this is what we seek to address with this nutrition program,” explained OFI President James Lorenzana.
“If we can help them get the right nourishment during their formative years, then we can build a better future for them,” he added.
Gotamco Elementary School Principal Lea Marcelo during her opening remarks thanked OFI and KnK for “helping teachers and students improve and make the most out of their learning experience.”
On top of their nutrition supplements, the student-beneficiaries of the Complementary Nutrition Program will continue to be monitored to ensure that they are receiving proper nourishment. According to the OFI president, the program will also continue to identify more schools and communities as beneficiaries.
Lorenzana acknowledged that KnK was one of the best partners possible for the realization of the Complementary Nutrition Program, due to their two-decade experience in the execution of such projects.
At the ceremony, KnK Founder Vicky Wieneke emphasized the importance of cooperation between the public and private sector to ensure that social welfare initiatives continue to be effective, and that the outreach programs that improve them remain consistent.
OFI resonates with Wieneke’s sentiment, according to Lorenzana. Just last year, the foundation coordinated with the Office of Senator Lito Lapid to grant the Don Honorio Ventura State University in Apalit Pampanga a new academic building worth P50 million, which was named the Okada Building. Additionally, OFI is also the Parañaque City LGU’s partner in delivering health services through its annual P12-million donation for the city’s medical initiatives.
“We believe that the government and the private sector must continue to work together to address the needs of our students, especially those in the marginalized sector,” he concluded.
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