A Community We Support: Montecillo de Nieto
Background
Feed the Hungry San Miguel began operating a kitchen in Montecillo de Nieto in 2014. It is one of the most impoverished communities that we support. The school is 8 kilometers from the Feed the Hungry center.
During school year 2023-2024, we will serve 50 hot meals every school day at the primaria (elementary) and 22 meals at the kinder (preschool). Purified water is also delivered to the schools for meal preparation and consumption by students and teachers.
There are also 11 families enrolled in the Early Childhood Nutrition program, which provides food for children who have been weaned but are not yet in school; typically, eight months old to four or five years old. Their mothers receive twice-monthly deliveries of food and educational workshops.
Location Statistics
The most recent INEGI census (2020) reported a Montecillo de Nieto population of 349 residents in 82 households. At the time, 36% of residents were over 14 years old. Fewer than half of the dwellings had indoor toilet or sanitary facilities. Only 36% of residents older than 12 years of age were employed. More than 5% of the adults were illiterate. The average schooling level was 7 years.
Nutrition Report – School Year 2022-2023
For the latest Nutrition Report, our staff nutritionists assessed students through height, weight, and body fat measurements.
During the measurements, a partial examination was performed in which hair, skin, eyes, mouths, and fingernails were observed to identify clinical signs of nutritional deficiency. In some cases, dry hair, dehydrated skin, short stature, and low muscle mass was observed. This indicates a deficiency in the consumption of foods rich in protein, green vegetables, and citrus.
Even children who are overweight or at risk of becoming overweight showed signs of malnutrition and insulin resistance, which indicates that they may develop chronic degenerative diseases such as diabetes. The tendency towards high weight is due to bad eating habits at home, junk food consumed outside of the home, and lack of physical activity.
Lack of food availability is not always the reason for stunting in children; parents often lack information about proper nutrition. Throughout the school year, Feed the Hungry offers informative nutrition and hygiene workshops for mothers and children, and adjusts school meals menus according to the needs of the population.
Individualized counseling is provided to the mothers of children identified as severely malnourished or obese. The health and nutrition of each individual child served by Feed the Hungry San Miguel is evaluated on a semi-annual basis to identify improvements or deficiencies in the child’s nutritional health.
Primaria Students Health Assessment Results 2022-2023 vs 2021-2022
| Condition | School Year 2022-2023 | School Year 2021-2022 |
|---|---|---|
| Obese | 0% | 10% |
| Overweight | 9% | 20% |
| At risk of overweight | 23% | 0% |
| Normal | 64% | 61% |
| Light underweight | 4% | 2% |
| Moderate underweight | 0% | 2% |
| Severe underweight | 0% | 4% |
Eighty-six percent of kinder students were at normal weight.
This school needs a sponsor! Learn how you can make an impact as a Kitchen Angel.
EN 
ES 