Shindewadi Mumbai Public School (The Akanshka Foundation)

Shindewadi Mumbai Public School (The Akanshka Foundation), a charter school in Mumbai, India, is attempting to reverse the impact of low immunity and poor nutrition among its student body and wider community after the lockdown. The school has more than doubled the number of children to healthy weight, proving that its comprehensive programme is both robust and effective in promoting healthy lifestyles.

In its 14-year history, the school’s focus has changed along with its growth, but the one constant has been the health and nutrition of its students, with a record of malnourishment in the community. The COVID-19 lockdowns in particular had a severe impact on the health and nutrition, with 235 students – or roughly 50% of the student body – underweight when the school reopened, 103 of whom were severely malnourished, and only 31 students in the whole school at a healthy weight.

To address this issue, the school implemented a comprehensive programme that included awareness sessions, parent meetings, community events, nutritional monitoring of school meals, and initiatives to promote healthy food choices. One such initiative was the school’s “9 days, 9 colours, 9 recipes” event, which took place during the 9-day Navaratri festival and highlighted the importance of eating colourful and healthy food. The initiative saw 350 women take part, with several of them demonstrating and sharing low-cost, healthy recipes.

Shindewadi Mumbai Public School’s multifaceted approach also includes collaborating with the Indian Council of Medical Research for counselling and dietary suggestions for its underweight students. The school management committee monitors the nutritional value and taste of the government-provided midday meal and pushes for changes in vendors when required to improve quality. Additionally, the school requires every student to bring a healthy lunch from home, with teachers making sure that food gets eaten.

As a result of its efforts, all 103 severely undernourished students have gained at least 1.5kg and student families have become much more involved in learning about and implementing healthy eating habits.

If Shindewadi Mumbai Public School wins the World's Best School Prize for Supporting Healthy Lives, the school intends to expand its programme and create more awareness sessions, parent meetings, and community events to promote healthy lifestyles. The school aims to further improve the quality of the midday meal and ensure that every child has access to nutritious food, regardless of their socio-economic background.