On 23rd April 2023, the School Nutrition Day took place at Hiếu Trung B Primary School (Tiểu Cần District, Trà Vinh Province) with the participation of 405 students studying there. This event was part of the nutrition and livelihood support for over 1000 children from low-income backgrounds in Trà Vinh, which is a partnership between Saigon Children’s Charity and Prudential Vietnam, implementing the “The 2022 Prudential COVID-19 Relief & Recovery Fund” project in Trà Vinh Province and Bình Thuận Province.
During the fair, students had the opportunity to gain knowledge about the food pyramid as well as nutritional values of daily meals through the game “the hidden box”. Additionally, they were taught to “colour the meal”, learning about the nutrient diversity through food colours and the principle of food nutrient distribution in order to have adequate and balanced meals. The event also featured over 100 parents who participated in the discussion with nutrient professionals, sharing about building good quality meals for kids.
Over 55 days from March until the end of this school year, 64,900 snack meals were given to 1,180 students from 4 schools, including Hiếu Tử and Hùng Hòa kindergarten schools, as well as Hiếu Tử C and Hiếu Trung B primary schools in Trà Vinh. Before 9am every morning, mid-morning snacks prepared are delivered to the school sites. Those in charge of distribution classify and arrange food portions for each class and for students who choose savoury food or vegetarian options. Once the drum beats, 4th and 5th graders take the snacks to their classes and serve themselves, while teachers deliver the snacks directly to younger ones.
The menu is frequently changed to meet the demand for local food sources and to align with the standard instructions on healthy eating. The ultimate aim is to provide essential nutrients between meals and contribute to overall nutrition for proper growth and development of the children, especially those that come from destitute communities as they usually lack protein, calcium, vitamin D, …
Damien Roberts, Executive Director at saigonchildren, stated, “This is such a meaningful project as it is the first time saigonchildren have directly supported healthy snacks for children in our beneficiary working areas. We understand that underprivileged students, especially in remote regions such as Trà Vinh, face challenges in ensuring they receive adequate nutrients. Guaranteeing access to nutritious meals is a challenge for their families. Many children go to school without a balanced diet, and their daily meals often only consist of carbohydrates or fiber, lacking other essential nutrients for their development. With support from Prudential Vietnam, we believe that the journey to help children access education will require comprehensive efforts from all partners, including the government.”
Saigonchildren and Prudential Vietnam hope that we can share the burden with financially struggling families in their process of livelihood resilience after COVID-19, as well as contribute to creating nutritious habits and knowledge for them so that they can maintain their children’s meal nutrition as much as possible.