A little boy of about 7~8 years is going towards a U.N. food camp in a famine struck country. The boy is so starved, so frail, so malnourished; he cannot even walk. He is crawling on his four towards the camp. Behind him sits a vulture, waiting for the boy to die, so he can get his food. Not an imaginary story, but a true incident in Sudan, Africa. A photographer captured this moment in his camera and the picture won him the Pulitzer Prize in 1994. The sadder part still, the lens man Kevin carter went in to severe depression after witnessing many such horrifying incidents and committed suicide.

"Food for thought"

EXCESS FOOD FOR SOME COULD MEAN A FEAST FOR THE HUNGRY AND NEEDY

His prize winning photograph prompted the lens man to pledge, "Dear God, I promise I will never waste my food no matter how bad it can taste and how full I may be."

Let us further resolve to reduce food wastage to the best of our abilities.

How about a set of 'food pledges' for life?

·        I shall not load my plate with eatables. There is always a second chance.

·        I shall not try out every food item at parties and weddings. I am not a guinea pig!

·        I shall not fuss over about my food likes and dislikes; I shall happily eat whatever I get. I will remember that some one's hungry some where.

·        Respect for food is a value I must follow for life time. I can afford to be strict with my taste buds once in a while!

·        I need not have forced meals to please friends and acquaintances. It's my stomach, after all!

·        I must not throw away left over food and teach the same to my children. Dust bins are not made for food items.

·        I can easily afford to feed a hungry mouth off and on. Food is meant for stomachs; not drains.

Add oaths of your own and follow them seriously. Sensitize the gen-next on the value of every morsel of food; and reinforce these values again and again.

Food for a healthy body must be respected always.

Food for thought? Definitely