Government is being urged to launch an Island-wide programme for underfed schoolchildren by a group of volunteers who provide breakfast and lunch for 30 hungry youngsters each weekday.

The five women - all members of the Seventh Day Adventist Church - spend hours each week buying, preparing and delivering nutritious meals for needy students at five schools, including a pre-school, in four parishes.

The Royal Gazette is not naming the schools involved in the programme to avoid identifying children receiving help.

The scheme - which costs between $1,500 and $1,800 a month - is paid for mainly by the church and through fundraising but all of the volunteers spend their own money on produce. Co-ordinator Correne Dummett believes her team is helping only a tiny proportion of youngsters who are not getting fed properly at home because of poverty and thinks Government should tackle the problem. She wants to meet with Premier Ewart Brown to discuss launching a network of schemes across the Island funded by the state.

“I have never suggested it to Government but I sure would like to meet Dr. Brown,” she said. “I would tell him that I feel that the Government should be providing this; that it shouldn’t be the responsibility of the citizens. In the States they are doing it and Government could do it here.”

Volunteer Carol Burgess, who prepares sandwiches for students each day after working an eight-hour night shift in a care home, said: “You can’t think straight when you are hungry.”

A spokesman for the Premier said he had no comment. Education Minister Randy Horton is off the Island but a Ministry of Education spokeswoman said school principals were polled in 2005 on the number of hungry students and none reported alarming numbers.

“Some principals did indicate that while there were a few cases in their school none were greater than six,” she said. “At one school it was reported that incidences of hunger, if they occurred, were higher between the months of January and March, when layoffs were prominent in the hospitality industry.

“In cases where students were in need of breakfast, each school principal has their own contingency plan. Throughout the Island, churches in the school’s community have traditionally provided meals or snacks. Schools have also provided food for their students when needed.”

She added: “The Ministry of Education, Sports and Recreation offers praise to members of the community who continue to help the Island’s students during their time of need.”

A spokeswoman for the Ministry of Health, which covers Child and Family Services, said: “The parents need to make themselves known to Financial Assistance. If you can’t afford to buy food...if you go and just depend on handouts, how is Government supposed to know or be expected to help? There is an agency that assists people but they can’t assist you if they don’t know who you are.”

Gaynell Hayward, a nurse raising funds for the feeding programme, described it as “awesome”. But she said there was something wrong when members of the community had to provide food for schoolchildren.

“That’s the sad part about it. When I heard about it myself I couldn’t sleep at night. But they recognise the need and that’s why they are doing it.”

A principal at one of the schools involved in the scheme said teachers had seen a huge change in the pupils involved. “Just their whole demeanour has changed. They are more alert. They are more excited about school. I think it’s made a difference.”

She added: “For some of the children, for their parents it’s a bit of struggle. At our school, because we didn’t want to open the floodgates, we tried to make sure it was just the children in need and we have kept it very quiet.”

Social Rehabilitation Minister and author Dale Butler recently donated some of the proceeds from the sale of his books to the programme.

Asked if Government should provide for those genuinely in need, he said: “One of the primary responsibilities of parents is to provide food for their children. If you start to whittle away that responsibility then sooner or later the state is going to be responsible for lunch, dinner and housing them.”

Mr. Butler said while he applauded the volunteers he believed the majority of children accepting the food were probably fed at home but didn’t like what they were given. “One has to proceed with caution. There are some genuine cases but we need to check on everybody because there are children who will say they didn’t have a breakfast but their parents have provided one. The organisation itself should do due diligence.”

Another headteacher at one of the five schools said there was only a “very small percentage” of really needy children. “I hear a lot of hype about poverty but I don’t find that,” she said. “What I find in Bermuda is that generally the parents are caring parents but might need some support.

“Many of these children eat their food walking to school or in many instances it’s a situation where somebody didn’t like what they were given for breakfast at home and chose not to eat it.”

*Do you think Government should provide breakfasts and lunches for children in need? Do you know of a school feeding programme in your area? Email sstrangeways@royalgazette.bm or call 278-0155.