A Community We Support: Don Francisco
Background
The Feed the Hungry San Miguel kitchen in the community of Don Francisco opened in January 2023, when a sparkling kitchen and a shaded dining area were inaugurated. During school year 2023-2024 the kitchen will serve hot, healthy lunches to 288 primaria (elementary) school students and 113 children in preschool (kinder). Our hydration program also provides clean water in large refillable jugs for the children in the classrooms and for food preparation in the school kitchen.
Location Statistics
The most recent INEGI census (2020) reported a population 1,272 men, women, and children, residing in 231 households. Children under 14 years of age made up 42% of the population. Only 69% of homes had indoor sanitary facilities. Of residents over 12 years of age, 45% were employed. The average level of schooling was 6 years; 10% of the adult population was illiterate.
Nutrition Report – School Year 2022-2023
For the latest Nutrition Report, staff nutritionists 256 students in elementary school and 63 students in kinder through height, weight, and body fat measurements. The measuring process also enables the nutritionists to look for other signs of malnutrition in the children, such as listlessness, lack of pigment in the hair, white spots on the skin, and fragile nails.
Observations
The number of underweight children found in the community of Don Francisco was lower than expected, considering the community’s disadvantaged economic situation. However, many children, including overweight children, were found to be short for their age. It is suspected that at some point in their lives, they did not receive the necessary nutrients for their growth.
The number of overweight children indicates that there are bad eating habits and over-consumption of sugary drinks in the community. It was found that children bring sweetened beverages to school, such as processed juices and colas.
Health Assessment Results
| Condition | 256 Primaria Students | 63 Kinder Students |
|---|---|---|
| Obese | 5 | 0 |
| Overweight | 25 | 0 |
| At risk of overweight | 46 | 5 |
| Normal | 164 | 54 |
| Light underweight | 11 | 4 |
| Moderate underweight | 3 | 0 |
| Severe underweigh | 2 | 0 |
Some children are designated as “at risk” of becoming overweight because their body weight Index is on the borderline between normal and overweight. It is important to prevent these children from becoming overweight, because if they gain weight faster than they grow, that can greatly increase the risk of chronic diseases.
Cases of children with tooth decay and vitamin deficiencies were also found. These nutrients are of the utmost importance for the immune system and for learning in the classroom.
The community has easy access to foods of low nutritional quality and little availability of food that covers their basic nutritional needs, making the school lunches an important part of the students’ daily lives.
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