A Community We Support: Fajardo de Bocas
Background
The Feed the Hungry San Miguel kitchen in the community of Fajardo de Bocas serves 101 nutritious lunches every school day. During school year 2023-2024, we are serving hot meals to 26 children at the Don Miguel Hidalgo kinder and 75 students at the Emiliano Zapata primaria.
Location Statistics
The school is 22 km from the Feed the Hungry center and lies at 2,087 meters (6,847 feet) altitude. The latest census (2020) reported that the population of Fajardo de Bocas was 340 men, women, and children, residing in 93 households. At that time, 30% were children age 14 or younger. The average school achievement for adults was 6 years; 13% of the adult population were illiterate.
Nutrition Report – School Year 2022-2023
For the latest Nutrition Report, staff nutritionists assessed 67 students in primaria through height, weight, and body fat measurements.
At the time of the physical examination, clinical signs of malnutrition were observed, such as dry and dehydrated skin, depigmentation of the skin, follicular hyperkeratosis, and brittle nails. This is indicative of a deficit of proteins, fresh fruits and vegetables, and vitamins such as biotin and niacin, vitamin C, and vitamin E. Some children present acanthosis nigricans, a sign of insulin resistance, and tooth loss due to dental caries from a high consumption of sugars.
Clearly, overweight is a problem, increasing the risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes and high blood pressure. During the measurement, a quick interview was carried out to ask the children about their eating habits and the after-school activities. They mentioned consuming products with a high sugar content, mainly juices and soft drinks, as well as junk food. They prefer flavored water, including fruit juice or other sweeteners. Their mothers sometimes use sachets made from artificial sugars to sweeten the water.
Health Assessment Results 2022-2023 vs 2021-2022
| Condition | School Year 2022-2023 | School Year 2021-2022 |
|---|---|---|
| Obese | 3% | 7% |
| Overweight | 15% | 17% |
| At risk of overweight | 12% | 0% |
| Normal | 61% | 58% |
| Light underweight | 7% | 15% |
| Moderate underweight | 1% | 3% |
| Severe underweigh | 0% | 0% |
When leaving school, some of them are dedicated to homework and to helping their parents with household chores, but they spend most of their time watching television or on mobile devices. When asked if they practiced any sports, they mentioned playing occasionally, but with little physical exertion.
Conclusion
It will be necessary to keep this community in constant nutritional monitoring and food surveillance. One of the main objectives of the nutrition team will be to educate parents on good eating habits and promoting physical activity.
As for the students, nutrition workshops will be offered to raise awareness of the consequences of the consumption of junk food and the effect on their growth and the importance of preventing development of chronic disease at an early age.
In addition, the school menu will be adapted to further increase the consumption of proteins and vegetables in all meal preparations, and limit or reduce the consumption of tortillas.
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