Zayn Malik writes an open letter to the Prime Minister. Image Source: LA Times
Zayn Malik takes a stand for children.
Former One Direction member Zayn Malik took to social media to send a letter to British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak at the behest of the children in England who, amidst residing in poverty, do not receive free school meals.
Zayn Malik wrote an open letter to the newly elected Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Rishi Sunak, on his Instagram story, requesting that his upcoming spending plan involve free school meals for all young kids on Universal Credit, which is a monthly govt compensation to help with living costs in the United Kingdom.
Zayn Malik, who grew up in inner-city Bradford, West Yorkshire, wrote in his letter that he is writing to express his concern about the struggles children are facing as a result of the cost-of-living crisis and to ask for his assistance in ensuring that no child residing in poverty manages to miss out on a hot, healthy lunch at school, especially since that school meal may be the only hot meal that child receives.The singer went on to say that everyone is aware of the difficulties that families are currently facing, and that approximately four million kids live in families that will have experienced food insecurity by September 2022.
He also stated that despite living in poverty, nearly 800,000 youngsters in England miss out on the free school meals that could provide them with energy and nutrition, and that these children struggle with a lack of composition, with some being forced to steal food from cafeterias since they are hungry but cannot be able to purchase their lunch, and those that feel ashamed, which has a direct impact on their bodily and mental health.
Zayn mentioned in his letter that he understands how shame feels, having experienced it firsthand while growing up in Bradford, where he relied on free school meals and faced the stigma associated with food insecurity. Zayn stated that his hope in composing this letter is that they can focus on ensuring that no child ever has to encounter hunger and stigma again, as his perception is not unique, and that it is a challenge that many children in England are unfortunately growing through.
According to the former One Direction singer, extending the current threshold and providing free school meals to children from Universal Credit families would be the best way to reach out to those in need while also preventing children from experiencing the worst of the cost-of-living crisis, which would only widen the gap between the rich and the poor. Free school meals are a huge help for poor children in society because they ensure a consistent, hot, nutritious lunch every day at school, allowing children to thrive rather than worry about their next meal.
In his letter to UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Zayn Malik expressed his hope that the government will do the right thing and make the necessary changes. Parents are already undertaking everything that they can, yet as the authorities, they can provide urgently needed assistance. He wrote that no parent should have to choose between buying food, turning on the heating, or going into debt, and he mentioned that knowing their kids are receiving a nutritious lunch at school would be a huge relief to struggling parents and that these stresses will only worsen as food and energy prices are still rising.
Finally, Zayn Malik stated that as prime minister, he has the power to change it and pleaded with them to act in clear conscience and dedicate their budget on November 17th to providing free school meals to all children living in poverty. Children going without food is not inevitable, and it should not be a political or ideological issue.
On November 17, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will release the details of the current budget statement. Food insecurity has become a hot topic in the United States in recent years, and California became the country's first state to provide free school meals to all public school students in August. The Bank of England recently announced its largest rate hike in 33 years, which is expected to worsen the crisis and place additional strain on families attempting to repay existing loans.
Zayn Malik is the latest famous person to support wider access to free school meals, joining the England footballer Marcus Rashford and the chef Jamie Oliver. Zayn's music has reached the lives of many millions of people, said Anna Taylor, executive director of the Food Foundation. She added that they are delighted to be having to work on the campaign with him and to have him as an ambassador. His own early experiences will strike a chord with many young people in the UK today for whom the voices go unheard.
