Find Out How School Meals Fill Nutritional Gaps for Children Like 5-Year-Old Băng

One hour outside of Da Nang, Vietnam, in the Thang Binh District, a smiley 5-year-old girl named Băng lives with her parents.

In Thang Binh, agriculture is the main industry, and most of the residents work as farmers. When it isn’t the growing or harvest season, farming employment opportunities are harder to come by and, therefore, income is unstable for many families, including Băng’s.

Every day, Băng’s father takes her to Binh Tu Kindergarten for school. Băng says she likes school, especially because of her nice teacher and many friends. While at school, Băng also receives Rise Against Hunger meals, distributed by partner Children of Vietnam, through her school’s feeding program.

Of the 430 students, many come from families that struggle with steady incomes due to the local economy. Mrs. Van, the school’s principal, says the meals are, therefore, important to the students. It helps the children get the proper nutrition to be physically healthy, which then gives them the opportunity for a good future. Mrs. Van has worked as a teacher for 36 years and loves her job and working with the students. She wants what is best for the children.

Mr. Phu, a staff member of the Charity Association of Quang Nam Province, which is a partner of Children of Vietnam, adds that since many of the children previously struggled to get the food they needed to live healthy lives, the school feeding program helps the children receive that necessary nutrition.

Rise Against Hunger meals are distributed to children, like Băng and her classmates, in countries around the world. 70 percent of those we served last year through our Nourishing Lives pathway were children ages 0-17. These nutritious meals support their opportunities for a bright future, and you can make an impact! Host a meal packaging event today to have a hands-on role in our work by creating these meals that are then distributed to children and families!