The nutrition program with the Indian Council for Child Welfare (ICCW) concluded in September. The program ran for an entire year in support of 250 children living in the urban slums of Kathputli Nagar, Jaipur in Rajasthan to evaluate whether introducing millets into local diets would be acceptable and also bring about any health benefits to the children. TBR was supported by the Lions Club of Jaipur, Rajasthan Hospital, and the Health Welfare Group to also evaluate a new Private-Public Partnership (PPP) setup.
A total of 78,000 breakfasts were served in the year. The children loved the millet breakfasts, and during the screenings the doctors noted fewer reported illnesses. At home, millets replaced a portion of wheat and rice in the local diet for breakfast, showcasing that millets were very palatable and could be well integrated into local diets. This has positive connotations as millets are important when the government looks at the future of food security.
