Gauri relies on the meals she receives

Gauri* is a 12-year old student in the 5th grade.  She is the fifth of her parents’ seven children and has had a difficult childhood and home life because her father is an abusive alcoholic.

To cope with this, Gauri spends as much time as possible at the Ashraya Initiative for Children (AIC) Education Outreach Centre when she is not at school.  The extra time at the Education Centre pays off, and Gauri excels in school.

Two years ago, AIC enrolled her in a private school across the city so that she would have as many opportunities as possible in the future.  As a part of her participation in the AIC Education Outreach Program, Gauri receives daily meals at the Education Centre, as well as a packed lunch to take to school.

Gauri’s father earns only 3,000 rupees ($60) per month to support his large family, and spends a large portion of his income on alcohol. The family never has enough food to go around, and Gauri and her siblings rely heavily on the meals that they receive through AIC to keep their stomachs full.

All of the food served is healthy, fresh and balanced to meet the children’s nutritional needs.  Gauri loves school, especially her history class, and will hopefully become among the first girls in her community to go to college one day!

Thank you so much,  Rohit, Doina, Anita, Keith, Felix (x3), Edgar (x3), and Brandon (x2), for coming together to provide a year of nutritious meals to Gauri.

*Name changed to protect identity