Bermuda Is Love ‘Don’t Go Hungry’ Campaign
This October, Bermuda Is Love is launching its “Don’t Go Hungry” campaign, calling for “universal school breakfast programs across Bermuda so that every child has access to a free, nutritious breakfast every school day.”
A spokesperson said, “We believe food is a human right. Every child should be able to start the school day with the food they need to learn, grow, participate, and thrive. Breakfast should not depend on a family’s income, circumstances, or ability to put food on the table that morning. It should be available to every student, in every school, every day.
“But this is not something any one person, organisation, or family can solve alone. It is an ‘us’ thing. Bermuda Is Love is advocating for universal school breakfast while also doing the work now to demonstrate what that kind of program can look like.
“For the past three years, Bermuda Is Love has been working to ensure that children have access to healthy meals during the school day and to build a model for what free, universal school breakfast could look like in Bermuda.
“What began at Elliot Primary School has grown into a consistent breakfast program operating three days a week. The program has also expanded to Harrington Sound Primary School, where Bermuda Is Love provides weekly breakfasts in collaboration with Rosewood Bermuda, and to Victor Scott Primary & Pre-School, which now has a weekly breakfast program as well.”
“The breakfast program has already had an impact on the lives of students and teachers. Teachers have said themselves that they see students showing up earlier, being more focused in class, as well as students just being happier and in a better mood in general,” said Bermuda Is Love Intern Amira Gift. “Food is a basic human right, meaning that, no matter what, we should all have secure access to nutritious foods. The breakfast program provides this human right to the students during their school week, and that is why we are advocating for free universal school breakfasts island-wide, so that every student can have their basic human rights met.”
Bermuda Is Love Intern Joanna Anderson said, “The breakfast program is about making sure that students have a nutritious meal that provides them with energy and helps them to focus in class. It also gives parents one less thing to worry about and one less weight to carry. Parents can focus on getting their kids ready for school on time, knowing that their child has breakfast there for them. This is how we build community, this is what community should look like, people working together to meet our island’s basic needs.”
A spokesperson added, “This October, Bermuda Is Love is asking the community to show up, speak up, support existing school breakfast programs, and help us expand.
“Members of the public can volunteer at our school breakfast programs from 7:45am–8:45am at Elliot on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays, at Harrington Sound on Thursdays, and at Victor Scott Primary & Pre-School on Fridays, by registering on www.bermudaislove.com. We want to see more people coming out, more people talking about the issue, and more people joining the movement for food justice in Bermuda.
“The goal is simple: Every child in Bermuda should have access to a free, nutritious breakfast every school morning.
“No child should have to learn hungry. No parent should have to wonder whether their child will eat. And no school should have children sitting in classrooms without the food they need to thrive. Don’t Go Hungry. Food is a human right.
“For more information, visit www.bermudaislove.com or contact Bermuda Is Love at info@bermudaislove.com.”
