As the world celebrates Children's Day tomorrow, MOTUNRAYO JOEL reports that some pupils in Lagos State public schools are suffering from malnutrition
Less than a month ago, 15-year-old Abraham Adekunle died due to malnutrition. Adekunle slumped while taking an examination at State High School, Alimosho, Lagos State, in April. He was taken to the hospital where he eventually died.
A food vendor in the school, Mrs. Bisi Oladeji, said apart from Abraham, there were hundreds of children who were battling with malnutrition in the school.
Oladeji told SUNDAY PUNCH that Adekunle who was in S.S.S1 lived a hard life.
She said, "Adekunle's painful experience and death bring me close to tears each time I remember him. He would come to my food stand during school break and beg me for food. He said his father refused to give him food and that he wished to die.
"It was difficult to ignore Adekunle. Looking at him, you could attest to the fact that he was living in a poor condition. He was malnourished. He was 15 years but he looked like an eight-year-old child. He was lean and starred at other children while they ate. I understand his parents have separated and that he was living with his father. I think he was unlucky to have gone through such an unpleasant experience as a child.
"Adekunle was an intelligent child. He had a bright future but it was cut short. I tried locating his house but it was difficult. The few friends he had didn't know where he lived. Every day, he would trek long distance to the school. All efforts to invite his father to school were to no avail as he turned down the school's requests."
Adekunle's friend, Tobiloba, confirmed the painful circumstances surrounding his death.
"On several occasions, he would come to school hungry and we would have to give him some food. He was a good boy and I felt bad each time he spoke of his torture at home."
Oladeji said there were other children in public schools in Lagos whose cases weren't as serious as Adekunle's but who were also poorly fed by their parents.
"I've had to give these children free food. They look unfed and malnourished. I wonder why parents do not care when their children go to school without food. A hungry child will never focus on his study in class."
Adekunle is just one of many pupils living with malnourishment.
Twelve-year-old Elizabeth Adebari, a pupil of Ilupeju Primary School, Ilupeju, Lagos State, who suffers from sickle-cell anaemia, also battles with body pains and hunger. Every morning, she comes to school on an empty stomach and relies on her teacher to feed her.
Adebari, who is the third of her parents' four children, said her mother, whom she lives with, doesn't have money to feed her.
"I live with my mother. She usually doesn't give us breakfast and lunch because she has no money to buy food and we eat amala for dinner. I live on the little money my teacher gives me to buy food. I don't like my condition but I'm already used to it," she said, adding that coming to school gave her psychological relief.
"I like reading and I am happy when reading my books. I don't like to sit at home idle despite my poor health condition."
Aside hunger, Adebari battles with other ailments that comes with sickle cell. When she feels cold, Adebari becomes weak and feels pain in her body.
"When I feel pain in my bones, I sit or lie down in my teacher's office. When I'm at home, my mum applies local ointment on my body to ease the pain."
Despite her condition, Adebari said her dream was to become a banker.
"Some day, I hope to become a banker. I like bankers' attitude to life. I want to be rich in the future so that I can help children who are in need. I don't like what I'm going through and I will not like to see other children in my condition."
An official at the school, who pleaded anonymity, said that there were so many other children like Adebari.
"There are so many children living in poor conditions. Some of them don't even have school uniform and they walk on bare feet. On several occasions, I've had to buy food for these children. And when you ask them why they don't bring food or pocket money to school, they will tell you that their parents don't have money. I feel hurt when I hear such words.
"They are from poor families where money is hard to come by. Some of them are living with single parents who shoulder the burden of caring for four or five children.
"Adebari stays with her mother who earns a living as a cleaner in a church. She has to care for three other children from such meagre living," said the teacher.
Our correspondent, who visited the Adebaris, observed that the family is indeed poor.
Situated in Ileishe Street, Ilupeju, Lagos, their one-room apartment, which houses seven people, lacks ventilation and space to sleep well or move around.
While speaking with our correspondent, Mrs. Esther Adebari, who couldn't hold her tears, stated her difficulty in taking care of the children.
"I'm trying my best to take care of them but it's not easy. I wish I could give my children good food but I don't have the money to buy it. Most times, I go hungry so that my children can eat. My husband abandoned me with four children. It has been tough as a single parent."
She also blamed her plight on her inability to get a good job.
"I earn just N10, 000 from the job I do. I sweep and clean one of the Redeemed Christian Church of God parishes, Great Grace. I do this from Monday to Saturday. They wanted me to work on Sundays also, but I told them that I needed to rest on Sundays. I sweep the church and its adjoining six offices. I've been begging them to increase my salary but they refused.
"I feel so weak sometimes because I don't have food to eat. I have to give my children food first before thinking of myself. I hardly sleep. I have so much to think about. I've been living in this small apartment for over 20 years. I pay electricity bill and other bills out of the N10, 000 I earn. Life is just so hard for me," she lamented.
Blessing Eze, 13, a pupil of Government Comprehensive Junior School, Agege, Lagos State, is another poor child living in a pathetic state.
She goes to school on an empty stomach and has to survive on friends' sympathy. Eze hardly eats breakfast and she goes to school without any pocket money
One of her friends, Rakizat Ademesin, said Eze constantly stole money and books from her.
"I don't mind giving her my food because I know she doesn't have food to eat, but when she steals my book, I don't like it. She doesn't stay with her parents. She lives with her aunt who always beats her. She looks hungry all the time."
Mrs. Aminat Rasheed, who sells food in Eze's school, said a large percentage of the pupils in the school spent less than N60 on food.
"Pupils from rich homes spend about N60 on food while those from poor homes spend between N10 and N40 on food. This is not enough to keep children nourished," she said.
At Alimosho Grammar School, 15-year-old Opeyemi Adejobi sleeps in class because of hunger. Adejobi, who lives with her aunt, said she was always beaten and made to go to school without food.
She said, "My aunt's son is stubborn and when I scold him, my aunt will not give me food or money for that day. When I offend my aunt, she will make sure that I do not eat breakfast and lunch. My mother lives in Akure."
Adejobi is lucky to have Mrs. Sola Bankole, a food vendor in the school, around her. She has been taking care of her including giving her food and money. Bankole's daughter is in the same class with Adejobi.
"My daughter said she was always sleeping in class and that she didn't focus on her study. How can a child pass her examinations when she is hungry? I'm very sure her aunt will not treat her own children this way," said Bankole.
An official at Government Comprehensive Junior College, Agege, who refused to disclose his name because they weren't allowed to speak to the press, said that 60 per cent of children in government schools were malnourished.
"These children are from poor homes and their parents can barely feed them. They don't have breakfast and they walk home because they don't have transport fare. Sometimes, I give money to some children to buy food in school when I notice that they are hungry. Mothers should show greater interest in the health of their children. If a mother plans her day well, making breakfast or packing lunch for her children won't be a problem.
"Some parents are lazy while others genuinely don't have enough money to feed their children. When I have the opportunity to talk to them, I tell them that biscuits and sweets are not good enough," he said.
He also identified broken homes and economic crunch as some of the causes of malnourishment in children.
"When a child isn't living with the parents, he can be subjected to harsh treatment from wicked guardians. Some parents are finding the economy tough and they don't have money to take care of their children. For this group of parents, government's intervention could save their children. In other countries, governments come to children's aid. In Nigeria, we have the means to do the same."
A nutritionist, Mrs. Seyifunmi Akojede, stated that it is important for children to be properly fed.
"Malnutrition is a dangerous condition that develops when your body does not get enough nutrients to function properly. Malnutrition can be caused by lack of food or an unbalanced diet. The World Health Organisation says that malnutrition affects about 792 million people worldwide. At least a third of them are children. Breakfast should be taken by every child."
A medical doctor, Dr. Shabi Abidemi added, "Malnourishment can be divided into under and over-nourishment. But most people classify under and malnourishment as the same thing. Going by the term people are familiar with, the effect of malnourishment in children is that they lose focus on anything else except the next meal they are expecting to eat. If you are sending a hungry child to school, you are defeating the purpose of education. The child will be hungry and angry at the teacher and her colleagues."
Speaking on the effects of malnourishment in children, Abidemi said it causes reduced blood sugar level called hypoglycemia.
"This condition will cause the child to lose concentration because the brain lacks glucose. Children are energetic beings and they burn glucose fast, so a child who has low blood sugar will not be able to think straight or concentrate on what the teacher is teaching. The child tends to sleep in class or get into a quiet mood, because the body is trying to conserve the little energy it has left. On the other hand, the child can become aggressive and will exhibit habits such as stealing, begging and fighting. The child will want to get food at all cost.
"Malnourishment affects the education of children and makes them fall ill regularly. A child who isn't eating properly will have poor immunity. Malnourishment also affects the growth and brain development of a child.
"However, in medicine, we believe that a child who is above five years can't be malnourished because the child is able to get food by any means. But children below five years can't fend for themselves."
The doctor advised that the right time to strengthen the growth of anyone is at childhood.
"Once a girl-child isn't able to grow well, conditions such as contracted pelvis may occur. That means they may not be able to give birth except through caesarean section," he said.
The Lagos State government however absolved itself of any blame and said there was no provision for free meals in its schools.
The Public Relations Officer, Ministry of Education, Lagos, Mr. Lanre Bajulaiye, said , "Government can't provide free meals for all children in public schools. Parents have to provide for their children's well-being. They should ensure that they give their children the necessary support needed to aid their education and sustain their good health."
According to the United Nations Children's Fund, Nigeria has one of the highest rates of infant mortality in the world.
"One in seven children dies before his or her fifth birthday," it said.
Similarly, a report by a UK-based charity organisation Save the Children, titled, A life free from hunger: Tackling child malnutrition, listed Nigeria alongside India, Bangladesh, Peru and Pakistan as countries faced with extreme malnutrition.
The report indicates that nearly two out of five children on the African continent are stunted.
It added that families might be eating less food as a response to rising prices of food.
