Breakfast Program for Indigenous Australian School Children Funded by The Prem Rawat Foundation Exceeds Expectations

Los Angeles, September 27, 2007 — In less than a year, the School Breakfast Program funded by The Prem Rawat Foundation in partnership with Oxfam Australia has more than doubled in size and has helped bring about dramatic improvements in school attendance and performance.

Attendance at the Mornington Island State School, which serves the indigenous population, has historically been very poor. Many children arrived hungry, clearly suffering from long-term malnutrition. The result was not only sporadic attendance, but also difficulty concentrating on learning.

According to Jenny Sewter, Oxfam Australia’s Community Development Officer, “In addition to the direct health benefits, the school attendance of these children has also improved with their involvement in the breakfast program. Their teachers have commented on the children’s improved behavior and participation in class, with two of the girls recently receiving ‘student of the week.’ This simple program has made a definite contribution to improvement in the lives of these children and their family.”

During the first year of this three-year program, attendance for the daily breakfast has risen from 25 to 56 each day. In addition to providing a healthy breakfast five days a week, the program educates the children and families about nutrition through interactive information sessions.

Families on the island, where many are unemployed, cannot afford the high cost of fruit and vegetables coming in by barge. Having lost the land on which they used to grow their traditional foods, they lack both the means and knowledge to provide nutritious food for their children.

The School Breakfast Program brings several organizations into a partnership to achieve multiple objectives. The program brings PASS, Oxfam Australia, Allied Health, and Tropical Public Health together in a cooperative relationship with the State School to address the urgent needs of the children and families of the area.

With the unexpected steady increase in the number of students participating and the need for protection from the heat, wind, and rain, breakfast is now served in a large hall adjacent to the school that provides tables and chairs for students to sit comfortably inside for their breakfast.

The Prem Rawat Foundation continues to seek out ways to give people in need the kind of help that will enable them to make long-term changes in their lives. Of particular interest are the many pockets of people in areas often forgotten by larger organizations focusing on larger population groups.

Photographs courtesy of Oxfam Australia.

The Prem Rawat Foundation was founded by Prem Rawat, known worldwide as Maharaji, whose aim is to improve the quality of life for people in need by providing food, water, medical care, and disaster relief.

Discover more about Prem Rawat, his message of hope and peace, and the humanitarian activities of The Prem Rawat Foundation