VOICES OF YOUTH – WWW.UNICEF.ORG/VOY
“YOUNG VOICES ON NUTRITION”
“Suitable nutrition for everyone and sanitation for all the countries of the world: food and safe drinking water are the basis of life” Female, France

 
INTRODUCTION
Good nutrition plays an important role in human development. Voices of Youth members recognize this fact and they are actively discussing what it involves and how they can help create awareness on this issue. 
http://www.unicef.org/voy/discussions

“I am interested in community nutrition, so I like to participate in creating awareness of healthy eating and exercise among elementary/middle school youth. Or, providing nutritious food for the homeless at the shelter” 
Female, United States of America

OUR VOICES ON NUTRITION
Young people’s discussions on Voices of Youth concerning nutrition are filled with advice to parents, interests, experience, nutrition and diseases and the feminization of nutrition.
“Before the time of birth of a child, the parent(s) should plan out their child’s education, place of shelter, food and nutrition” 
Female, Canada


Besides, the Spanish influenza had a mortality rate at about 1-2%. If you compare it to, say, Ebola with 70% chance of dying, that's not a lot. The problem is if you get a very big number of people being infected. That pandemic also hit the poor part of the people very hard, due to probably nutrition, hygiene, life quality and quality of housing”.
Female, 21, Norway

“Parents don't give proper care, nutrition or medical treatment to the girl child so that she gets sick and dies (because they aren't going to get her treated in case she's sick)”. 
Female, 20, India

Young people recognized that school meals programmes are important in ensuring that impoverished children from poor families can get the required nutrition needed for their development by providing nutritionally balanced, low-cost or free lunches to children each school day.
“Well-devised school meals have much to contribute to the advancement of elementary education, child nutrition, and social equity. School meals provision is a valuable resource it enables children to have an adequate meal when they may be cut food at home”
Female, India

Malnutrition contributes much of the suffering of the peoples of the world; Young people are also of the opinion that poverty has an impact on nutrition.  

Now, I am studying about food and nutrition. I am interested to know much about health and nutrition; and concern about people nutrition. Please share with me....and we can discuss more about the way to reduce extreme hunger in this world... not just stop hunger, reduce some malnutrition cases are also very important to solve poverty.
Female, 21, Indonesia.

“Poverty leads to poor nutrition and little to no health care”.
Male, United States of America

Children and adults of all ages’ needs nutrition education on how to improve their diets and their lives, Young people on the Voices of Youth website discussed the link between education and nutrition. 

“Moreover, education is considered a basic human right and when it is granted, it provides growth and development in areas such as health, nutrition, and income and fertility rates”. 
Male, 24, Nigeria.

Helping those infected with HIV/AIDS get the right nutrition equilibrium needed for their survival was mentioned by young people as one of the ways of helping them stay alive and healthy.

“After this there are different things to do for the positive HIV/AIDs. Not isolating them, help them in getting the anti-retroviral and equilibrium nutrition”.
Male, Rwanda

EXPERIENCE SHARING
Young people on Voices of Youth shared their experience on nutrition and healthy living. They are of the opinion that improved nutrition is central to rapid development. 

“As for nutrition, you only have to worry a lot about it if you're vegan, since the other types can eat dairy products or eggs to compensate”.
Male, 21, Malaysia


“As long as you're getting all the nutrition you need your body will be fine. You don't have to eat meat to get those nutrients needed, but you're going to want to know the right veggies to be eaten to give you those proteins because you can't function without them”.
Male, 20, Malaysia


“Also I have been a vegetarian all my life, as has my family and I am, in fact, as tall as the average American my age. So a vegetarian diet CAN provide all the necessary nutrition”.
Female, 19, India

TAKE ACTION
Young people are eager to reach out to the malnourished. They have a keen sense of urgency on the need to help create awareness on the issue of nutrition.

My mission is to empower and enlighten the nutrition, survival, education, and growth.
Female, Turkey


I want to start an organization for young children (or just people in general) with protein energy malnutrition.
Female, 21, United States of America

CONCLUSION

Young people’s commitment to nutrition issues remains clear. They have used Voices of Youth as a forum both to share their own experience, initiatives and to borrow ideas from others. Their energy highlights once again how young people are in their own development. As one member from France said, “To conclude, let's try to give the right to young people, children and babies throughout the world to be able to live with happiness and let's try to build a better world for young people, children and babies who will take part in this world in the future to allow them to live their lives fully and healthily”

TOGETHER, LET’S TURN YOUNG PEOPLE’S IDEAS INTO ACTIONS, AND NOT JUST WORDS.   
For more information contact:
Maria Cristina Gallegos, Voices of Youth Coordinator, Adolescent Development and Participation Unit : cgallegos@unicef.org
Oluseyi Oyebisi, Voices of Youth Assistant, Adolescent Development and Participation Unit:ooyebisi@unicef.org