Nagpur: Maharashtra could serve as a “proof of concept” state for developing and scaling effective child nutrition programmes across India, said Chuck Scofield, CEO of US-based non-profit organisation ‘Share Our Strength’, during his visit to Nagpur.Scofield said the organisation sees Maharashtra as a state where successful nutrition interventions can be demonstrated, strengthened, and subsequently replicated in other parts of the country.Share Our Strength works with organisations involved in school and child nutrition, providing resources to strengthen existing programmes rather than directly running them. In Nagpur, it has supported partners including Akshaya Patra, Annamrita and Lok Biradari Prakalp.In an exclusive conversation with TOI, Scofield said the organisation’s approach was to build on existing govt and community initiatives, particularly the midday meal programme, and make them more nutritious, safe and sustainable. He said Maharashtra offered an opportunity to demonstrate how such partnerships can work at a big scale.During his Nagpur visit, Scofield visited an Akshaya Patra-supported kitchen in Butibori that produces around 5,000 meals a day. He also visited Lok Biradari Prakalp in Hemalkasa, where more than 600 residential students receive three meals a day with support from Share Our Strength.“We think of food as the most important school supply. Children who get adequate nutrition are better placed to concentrate on their studies and reach their full potential,” Scofield said.He said technology and the involvement of young volunteers could further accelerate the expansion of successful models. With India’s large population and growing economy, Scofield said, initiatives that demonstrate results in one region could be scaled to reach millions more children.Share Our Strength has so far helped connect around 7,00,000 children with 40 million meals in India, Scofield said. Its goal is to reach one million children and continue expanding their work with partner organisations.Scofield also emphasised the importance of hygiene, food quality, and sustainability in school meal programmes. He said the organisation carefully selects partners with strong standards and provides them with resources to improve and expand their operations.Calling child hunger a solvable problem, Scofield said the long-term goal was to build a wider coalition involving govts, businesses, restaurants and young volunteers. Maharashtra, he said, could become the testing ground for solutions that could eventually be taken to other parts of India.
