My apologies. My host came up with a tray for me and stayed to chat. And stayed. And stayed.
As for the conference, that's true, it wasn't just about nutrition, but that was a significant theme. Mostly because it seems so many of the other challenges they face circle back to the problem of children not having enough properly healthful food. It's very difficult for them to concentrate and behave well, let alone learn anything, if they've not had anything but transfigured turnips and the odd apple or pumpkin mash. It was suggested we ought to reverse the calendar, so they've their long vacation in January and February, but then it was rightly pointed out that the families depend on their children having the noon meal on the Protectorate's budget during winter when private stores run thin. And besides, the families that are really living close to the margin need their children helping in the gardens and animal pens during the growing season.
The teachers, though, told us how little of their funding can really be spared for those dinners and how meagre the food is that they do provide. They asked us if anyone could think of a creative way to stretch their budgets (since the Minister is hardly likely to find a sizeable pot of gold and decide to shuttle it in the direction of Education).
We put our heads together and decided we might find a willing group of volunteers (I think they envisioned a platoon of grannies, so you know!) who could bake nutritionally-enhanced biscuits for the children's lunches. One of the Healers suggested that we appeal to St Mungo's for a grant that would allow purchase of a particular supplement that St Mungo's nutrition staff endorse. That's in progress already (imagine something happening expeditiously!), so here I am, recruiting volunteers to bake. I believe they've already settled on a recipe and have agreed that if people will bake and stasis charm and pack the biscuits, the committee (naturally it's involving a committee) will collect and store and distribute them to the schools in most need.
It's quite a hands-on sort of project that makes a clear, direct contribution to a good cause.
If you think you might be interested, let me know, and as soon as we've got the supplement in-hand, I'll get it to you along with the recipe and other information.
no subject
As for the conference, that's true, it wasn't just about nutrition, but that was a significant theme. Mostly because it seems so many of the other challenges they face circle back to the problem of children not having enough properly healthful food. It's very difficult for them to concentrate and behave well, let alone learn anything, if they've not had anything but transfigured turnips and the odd apple or pumpkin mash. It was suggested we ought to reverse the calendar, so they've their long vacation in January and February, but then it was rightly pointed out that the families depend on their children having the noon meal on the Protectorate's budget during winter when private stores run thin. And besides, the families that are really living close to the margin need their children helping in the gardens and animal pens during the growing season.
The teachers, though, told us how little of their funding can really be spared for those dinners and how meagre the food is that they do provide. They asked us if anyone could think of a creative way to stretch their budgets (since the Minister is hardly likely to find a sizeable pot of gold and decide to shuttle it in the direction of Education).
We put our heads together and decided we might find a willing group of volunteers (I think they envisioned a platoon of grannies, so you know!) who could bake nutritionally-enhanced biscuits for the children's lunches. One of the Healers suggested that we appeal to St Mungo's for a grant that would allow purchase of a particular supplement that St Mungo's nutrition staff endorse. That's in progress already (imagine something happening expeditiously!), so here I am, recruiting volunteers to bake. I believe they've already settled on a recipe and have agreed that if people will bake and stasis charm and pack the biscuits, the committee (naturally it's involving a committee) will collect and store and distribute them to the schools in most need.
It's quite a hands-on sort of project that makes a clear, direct contribution to a good cause.
If you think you might be interested, let me know, and as soon as we've got the supplement in-hand, I'll get it to you along with the recipe and other information.
I expect you've finished reading?