Venezuela Fights Malnutrition With 3,000 “Food Houses”
Around 1.7 million Venezuelans are working in the provision of essential services during the pandemic.
August 12, 2020.- Over the last decade, Venezuela has reduced the malnutrition rate from 13.5 percent to 2.5 percent.
This achievement was possible thanks to the participation of “The Cooks of the Homeland”, a group of women who dedicate an hour of their daily work to activities carried out in a network of 3,117 restaurants feeding vulnerable communities.
The “Food Houses” are part of a social program created in 2005 during the presidency of Hugo Chavez. The current goal of this public initiative is to consolidate some 6,000 food houses by linking them to growing food.
“I told them they could use my house on the condition that my sister works here. It does not bother me at all. As you can see, we work together,” said Betty Valecillos, a member of the Socialist commune of La Pastora neighborhood, in Caracas.
While the US frets about who might be interfering with their elections, they happily continue destabilising countries elsewhere.
Their policy of sanctions on Venezuela is illegal and inhuman and has cost the lives of thousands. https://t.co/sdfJLV7kCi— VSC (@VenSolidarity) August 12, 2020
In her residence, the Food House provides lunch to about 200 people from Monday to Friday. Children, adolescents, the elderly, and people with physical disabilities or in situations of social vulnerability receive priority attention.
“The State sends food every two weeks. Every month, 200 people benefit from 80 basic food baskets, each containing about 11 kilos of products,” Brasil de Fato reported and added that Strategic Food Program Foundation (FundaProal) representatives routinely visit the food houses to verify whether meals are being distributed to those in need.
Currently, around 1.7 million Venezuelans are working in the provision of essential services during the pandemic.
Featured image: Women belonging to “The Cooks of the Homeland” initiative, Caracas, Venezuela, August 12, 2020. | Photo: Brasil de Fato
