Amman, June 18 (Petra) — Tkiyet Um Ali on Thursday launched an
awareness campaign titled “Nutritional Poverty Holds Back Their
Growth” to highlight the impact of nutritional poverty on children’s
health, development and learning, while calling for greater efforts
to ensure vulnerable children have access to healthy and balanced
diets.

The organization said many children living in vulnerable households
continue to face challenges in accessing sufficient and diverse food,
affecting their health, concentration and academic performance.

It noted that deficiencies in essential nutrients, particularly iron,
remain among the most significant consequences of nutritional
poverty, increasing the risk of anaemia and hindering children’s
physical growth and cognitive development.

According to the 2023 Jordan Population and Family Health Survey,
nearly one-third of children in Jordan, or 32 percent, suffer from
anaemia, while 8 percent experience stunting or wasting, both key
indicators of malnutrition and inadequate intake of essential
nutrients required for healthy growth.

The campaign builds on Tkiyet Um Ali’s 2014 “Bread and Tea”
initiative, which highlighted the challenges faced by children whose
diets lack nutritional diversity and adequate nutritional value.

The organization stressed that nutritional poverty extends beyond
hunger, affecting children’s health, growth, educational attainment
and long-term potential.

Tkiyet Um Ali currently supports around 20,000 vulnerable families
across Jordan through monthly sponsorship programmes, food parcels
and meal distributions, in addition to its School Feeding Programme
launched in November 2025.

The programme targets students in underserved public schools in
Balqa, Jerash and Karak by providing daily natural date bars to
children attending schools that do not benefit from regular food
assistance programmes.

Rich in fibre and natural energy, the date bars are designed to
support students’ nutritional needs and improve concentration during
the school day.

Tkiyet Um Ali Director General Samer Balkar said nutritional poverty
has a direct impact on children’s health, learning and development.

“When children do not receive the essential nutrients their bodies
need, they become more vulnerable to health conditions such as
anaemia, which can affect their energy levels, concentration and
academic performance,” he said.

Balkar stressed that investing in school feeding programmes is a
practical solution that enables children to learn, grow and build
better futures.

He added that access to nutritious food is “not a luxury, but a
fundamental necessity” for every child’s growth and development,
noting that the campaign aims to raise awareness and mobilize broader
support to ensure vulnerable children receive food that supports both
their health and educational outcomes.

Coinciding with the campaign launch, Tkiyet Um Ali introduced a
community giving initiative based on a “Buy One, Donate One” model,
allowing individuals to donate one date bar for every participating
date bar product purchased.

Under the initiative, each purchase automatically provides an
additional date bar to a child enrolled in the School Feeding
Programme.

The organization said the initiative will help expand the programme’s
reach while encouraging greater community participation in tackling
nutritional poverty and its impact on children’s health and
education.

Tkiyet Um Ali called on individuals, companies and institutions to
support the School Feeding Programme and contribute to the campaign
through its official donation channels to help provide nutritious
food to children most in need.

//Petra//