Mira Excels in School with Daily Nutritious Meals
In Vietnam’s Minh Long district, Mira, age 5, lives with her mother. Those in her community live in rural and mountainous areas and rely heavily on agriculture and forestation for their livelihood. With many narrow and uneven valleys divided by steep hills and mountains, traveling during the rainy season is challenging, impacting local agriculture growth and access to nutritious food. When Mira’s mother fell ill and could no longer farm for an extended period, providing meals at home became difficult.
To ensure Mira would receive nutritious daily meals, her mother enrolled her in school at Long Mai Kindergarten. With support from Rise Against Hunger, in-country partner Children of Vietnam distributes meals at the school with the vitamins and minerals needed for proper growth and development. Mira explains how delicious the meals are and how they make her feel happy and active. She is no longer malnourished. Mira says, “I want to go to school, play with my friends, and have delicious meals. I will study very well to be a teacher in the future.”
Rot, the school’s cook, says before the meals, many parents worried about covering meal fees and how they would send their children to school, including Mira’s mother. She recalls the first time she met Mira, “I still remember when I saw her at school. She looked so small in front of other students. Her family situation and potential food insecurity within her household caused acute malnutrition.” Now Rot sees a child that’s transformed before her eyes, “As I look back on this little girl, I feel like she was reborn. She became more confident and sociable with others.”
Mrs. Sang, Long Mai Kindergarten Principal, says many children once faced malnourishment, “But thanks to the meals from Rise Against Hunger with whole nutritional ingredients, the malnutrition rate has decreased significantly.” She further explains how Mira’s health has improved, and she’s attending school regularly. Mrs. Sang also mentioned Mira expresses her passion for learning and the bright future she has ahead of her with the support of her classmates, school and nourishing meals.
Interested in growing the movement with Rise Against Hunger to support children like Mira and her family? Consider hosting a meal packaging event with your business, church or school to package nutritious meals distributed around the globe to help people facing hunger.