"Free School Meal Initiatives in Iran"
The tradition of providing free school meals in Iran dates back nearly 60 years. Mohammed, born in 1331 (1952/1953), recalls that during his second-grade year in 1339 (1960/1961), some students were given cans of white margarine to take home. The taste of the margarine or butter was peculiar. This nutrition program was part of the "Point Four Program," which was implemented in economically disadvantaged countries, including Iran, after World War II and supported by the United States.
Mohammed Hassan remembers that the school's caretaker would boil powdered milk in a large cauldron, and during the break time, the students would form lines in the school corridor with their plastic cups, eagerly waiting for their turn. A man named Mashhadi Rahman would ladle the milk into the cups one by one.
Mortaza, who is now 60 years old, recalls the prevalence of malnutrition and diseases like kwashiorkor during his school years. Medical examiners would come to the schools and inspect the children, noting down the names of those suffering from malnutrition and other health issues. Mortaza himself got afflicted with kwashiorkor during third grade, and his head had to be shaved, remaining without hair for six months.
However, children born in the 1960s have slightly different memories. During their time, the nutrition and hygiene situation improved to some extent. Aminé, who attended school in Khuzestan, remembers that students were given bread and butter. Hunger stories became prevalent in children's literature of that era, and children's literary works took on a more assertive and critical tone. Not only authors like Samad Behrangi, but even figures like Rasul Parviz wrote books such as "Button-Up Trousers," which cried out against the bitterness of poverty.
It is fascinating to observe the transformation in the school meal initiatives and the awareness of nutrition and health issues over the years in Iranian schools, reflecting the changing socioeconomic conditions and the efforts to address the well-being of students.
