Hunger

Last week when I went to pick up my youngest after her work, I noticed that she looked about to cry. I have learned from experiences that much as I want to hold her and ask her what is wrong, it is better to wait and let her tell me what is wrong.

There was nothing forthcoming from her side, so very casually I asked her

“How was your day?”

A nanosecond later, the dam burst and she told me

“Mom, someone stole my lunch again”

This has been happening lately.. that when she goes for her PE or art class, someone goes through her bag and steal her school lunch. But what made it worst was that this time, her lunch bag contained 2 lunches. One to eat during her usual lunch break and one to eat just before she starts her shift.. She didn’t have anything to eat till I picked her up at 8 pm( She had brekkie at 6 am) so I had to quickly find a Maccas and get her something to eat.

I was so angry..

I get up very early in the morning to cook a decent lunch for my kids and it is not for someone to steal and eat. I though of all possible ways I could wring this perpetrator’s neck..

But as I drove back home, I remembered the little girl in Yaya’s class for whom I sent lunch everyday… My son’s kindergarten was in the afternoon and sometimes we used to go early, so he and Baby could play in the playground. I noticed this girl on the swing., sitting alone every lunch break while everyone was eating their lunch. That was really odd.. and I figured she didn’t bring any lunch. I was broke financially, but I couldn’t bear to see a child hungry and so I packed school lunch for her as well and sent it through Yaya….

Stealing is not right.. and I guess whoever is stealing my child’s lunch is doing it because they have no other choice.  Isn’t it sad that living in Australia with all our social support network, a child has to resort to steal food..

So, I am going to give some money to the tuckshop convener,, if anytime my child’s or someone else’s lunch is stolen, the tuckshop will provide lunch for them..

4 thoughts on “Hunger

  1. It is sad when any child goes hungry 🙁
    perhaps you can leave a note in the lunchbox to whoever is doing it to ask for help if they are doing it out of necessity.
    that is really nice of you to leave the money with the school cafeteria. IMHO the school cafeteria should be free for the economically disadvantaged. The Government should pay for it if not for anything to entice more kids to stay at school – Cant even being to count the ways this investment would pay off 1. kids stay out of trouble when at school than when out on streets 2. Investment for the future 3. Healthy kids = less healthcare costs in future – so even taking emotion out of it, it is a nobrainer!

    • Goutham: I did think of leaving a note in her lunch bag, but I guess whoever is stealing the food is already embarrassed to do this and wouldn’t want that person to feel more miserable. Tuck shops here are run by the P&C and it is a business venture.. making money for the school.. You are absolutely right that the govt should pay for it.. but they won’t.. because they suffer from severe case of tunnel vision..

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