Bacolod first lady Dominique “Nikki” Benitez brought smiles to the faces of 100 undernourished children and their parents in Barangay 14, Bacolod City, on Monday, July 18, as she began a campaign to raise awareness on proper nutrition.
The Nikki Cares Foundation Inc., together with the Negrense Volunteers for Change Foundation, fed undernourished children aged 4 to 8 years old Mingo meals prepared on the NVC bus, and 100 parents were treated to arroz caldo.
The children and their parents also watched a film beamed from a LED van on the importance of eating nutritious food.
Benitez then gave the children teddy bears and their parents received bags, made of recycled campaign tarpaulins, containing vegetables.
Parents who joined a nutrition quiz also won bags of rice.
Benitez said the feeding activity, which was her first since her husband Alfredo Abelardo “Albee” Benitez became mayor of Bacolod, was held to mark Nutrition Month.
“I want to raise awareness about proper nutrition for children,” she said.
The highly nutritious NVC Mingo meals fed to the children are made of rice, monggo, and malungay.
“I feel good, I feel like I’ve helped them in a way. I’m happy to see them smiling,” she said of the children and parents at the activity.
Benitez said she hopes they continue to eat nutritious food and observe proper hygiene.
“If they need us to come back here next time I’m willing to do another feeding program,” she said.
There are a lot of other barangays she wants to go to so she can get to know the people there also, she said.
She said the Nikki Cares Foundation started in 2017 and has brought surgical missions to various parts of Negros Occidental. However, they were unable to conduct surgical missions during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The foundation aims to resume its surgical missions next year, she said.
The Nikki Cares Foundation will continue to conduct activities in Bacolod City to help the poor, she said.
Benitez also wants to focus on mental health by bringing in experts to provide counseling for women and children. A lot of people have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, she said.
Parents, who accompanied their children to the feeding activity, said they were thankful to Benitez for taking the time to visit their barangay despite the rain to bring them food and stuffed toys for their children.
Joevilyn Carmelo, the mother of 3-year-old Kisler who was among the recipients of the feeding activity, said she was happy to see Bacolod’s first lady for the first time.
“Mrs. Benitez is very pretty and it’s kind of her to come here even if it is raining to help us,” she said.
Nosil Gayumale, 41, a manicurist married to a tricycle driver, came with her five-year-old son Von Ivan.
Gayumale said she is happy that the Nikki Cares Foundation visited their barangay to teach them about proper nutrition.
“I hope they can also help mothers like me with a lot of children in other barangays,” she said.
“I am very thankful to Mrs. Benitez and her team for coming to our barangay to share their knowledge on how we can give our children proper nutrition,” Gayumale added.
Among the members of the Benitez team were Anne Zayco and Bea Lacson, while Alyne Batano of NVC entertained the children and parents with games.*