KUALA KANGSAR: Imagine having to go to school hungry and being forced to learn when your stomach is rumbling for food.
It is even harder in the mornings when you have to skip breakfast. This is the reality that thousands of pupils from hardcore poor and poor families in Perak face each day.
In order to ensure the children have access to nutritious food, the government introduced the Free Breakfast Programme that benefits 850 pupils from six schools in Perak.
Zahra Alesha Zulkifli, 11, from Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Datin Khadijah here said her parents usually provide RM1 for school expenses but there were times where they could not give that.
"Mom is not working and my father is only an odd-job worker. He cleans up drains and does grass-cutting work to earn some money," said Zahra who hails from Kampung Kota Lama Kiri here.
The seventh of eight siblings said there were times when her parents could not afford to give her pocket money for three days forcing her to borrow some money from her friends.
"I love to eat sagon (rice flour with dried shredded coconut) that costs 40 sen and when I don't have money, I sometimes borrow from my friend.
"I am happy to receive the free breakfast in my school. I will not feel hungry any more in the mornings and I can enjoy my breakfast with my friends," she said.
Earlier, Perak Education, Technology, Science and Environmental Committee chairman Dr Abdul Aziz Bari visited the school for about an hour. The pupils were treated to fried rice, guava and hot Milo.
Abdul Aziz said six schools have been selected for the first phase of the programme, with SJKT Ayer Tawar in Manjung leading the pack with 220 pupils.
"We also have about 173 pupils from SK Jernang, Sungkai; SK Seri Tanjung, Tanjung Rambutan (154); and SK Datin Khadijah, Kuala Kangsar (135).
"Other schools are SK Suak Padi in Bota (131) and SJKC Chui Chak in Langkap (37)," he said.
The programme, as announced by the Education Ministry last year, would dish out free breakfasts to some 2.7 million primary school pupils.