ABOUT THE MILLENNIUM FELLOWSHIP - CLASS OF 2022
United Nations Academic Impact and MCN are proud to partner on the Millennium Fellowship. Over 31,000 young leaders on 2,400+ campuses across 140+ nations applied to join the Class of 2022. 200+ campuses worldwide (just 8%) were selected to host the 3,000+ Millennium Fellows.
UNITED NATIONS ACADEMIC IMPACT AND MCN PROUDLY PRESENT NOOR UL SABAH, A MILLENNIUM FELLOW FOR THE CLASS OF 2022.
Fatima Jinnah Women University | Rawalpindi, Pakistan | Advancing SDG 1 & UNAI 1
" I am excited to be a Millennium Fellow because it will enhance and polish my skills as a social activist. The skills and knowledge I gain from the Millennium Fellowship will make my social impact more noticeable and tangible with the UNAI principles and SDGs. This program will provide me an opportunity to enhance my leadership and effective communication skills to understand my community better so I can work for them effectively. "
Millennium Fellowship Project: SMILES: Fighting Food Insecurity Among School-going Children
Research shows that the 3rd cause of poverty in developing countries is food insecurity. Food security only exists when every person has access to sufficient and nutritious food which meets their dietary requirements.
On 14th October 2022, I and my team member visited Cantt Public Girls High School Lalazar, Rawalpindi for a food security project “SMILES” with the students of pre-nursery and nursery.
SMILES is a food security project aiming to impart healthy food choices among school-going children affected by urban poverty. This project aimed to minimize food insecurity among school-going children, to make them familiar with healthier eating habits, and to determine whether school meals are a relief for the parents of school-going children.
The project was inspired by the CCT program launched in Brazil in 2004 called Bolsa Familia. The aim of that program was to encourage parents to send their children to schools if they were provided with free healthcare, cash incentives, or food security. SMILES had similar objectives which included:
• To provide homemade meals in the form of lunchboxes to the underprivileged school-going children
• To measure the impact of food stamp programs or school meals on parents of school-going children
• To create awareness of food insecurity and healthy food choices among school-going children affected by urban poverty
During the visit to the school, the team interacted with the students and teachers and talked about the importance of healthier food choices. Kids were engaged in different fun activities to increase participation and conversations related to nutrition and health were held with the students of Pre-nursery and Nursery.
They were provided homemade meals which included baked potatoes, fruits (bananas, pomegranates, and grapes), juices, and cupcakes as a sweet treat for the little ones.
The reason this project was conducted in Cantt Public Girls High School instead of any other school is because of the diverse socioeconomic background of the students. The children of public schools, due to their economic backgrounds have little knowledge about the nutritional value of their food choices.
It is vital to introduce underprivileged children to healthier eating habits to overcome food insecurity in Pakistani society and contribute to their more nutritious and productive futures.
The goal of the project was to highlight the importance of food stamp programs that are being provided in many countries.
About the Millennium Fellow
Noor ul Sabah, a young, talented, competitive undergraduate student at Fatima Jinnah Women University was born in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, and is currently studying Public Administration. Noor has always been passionate about community development and has worked on many projects on the following SDGs: No Poverty, Zero Hunger, Climate Change, and Reduced Inequality. Throughout her college years and now in her undergraduate years, she has organized and participated in various philanthropic events, demonstrating exceptional leadership and teamwork, and plans to continue in the future.
