We want to share how we work together to ensure no children go to school with an empty stomach. Here you can read our main stories and the impact of our work.
On Wednesday 21st of May, the online meeting of the Nutrition Centre took place. During this meeting, Marthe, Sandra and Louise explained more about questions such as: 'What food and drink will make your child learn and grow well? And how do you keep it easy and affordable for yourself?
Nora (41), a single mother of three children (aged 2, 6, and 11), faces the challenges of financial uncertainty. Despite her income, she has to be creative with her limited budget for her children. Nora says, 'The last 4-5 days of the month are tight. At that point, I check how much money is left and what I still need. I have to shop very consciously. Despite financial difficulties, Nora remains positive and finds creative solutions to make ends meet. For example, she makes a weekly menu and actively looks for special offers. "Nine times out of ten, the kids still find the crisis meals the tastiest," Nora says with a laugh.
The Prins Willem Alexander School in The Hague has creatively utilised the school meals budget. Two initiatives stand out: the JEF cupboard, a giveaway cupboard for families, and the 'Full Tummies' project, where children take home a box full of groceries five times a year. Deputy Director Maxime van Boheemen and liaison officer Marloes Gaillard are passionately committed to projects that help families. Whenever possible, students are also involved.
At De Springplank in Zutphen, a primary school for special education in a beautiful new building, the extra December budget is given a creative twist. Mattias van Os, sports teacher and school meals coordinator, explains how they are giving out Christmas packages to students for the second year in a row at the start of the holiday.
Packing Christmas Packets Together with the School Meals Budget. Schools that offer meals receive an extra high budget in December. This allows for extras, such as a Christmas dinner or Christmas packets. At VSO de Monoliet in Leeuwarden, they chose the latter. Coordinator Klaas Nieuwhof enthusiastically explains: “We wanted to do something that not only benefits all students but also actively involves them.” The idea arose during a brainstorming session with the working group that Klaas and his colleagues, who organise the school meals, are part of. “We discussed how we could link this December activity to an internal internship,” Klaas explains. De Monoliet has a warehouse where a safe working environment can be simulated. "This provides our students with an educational place to develop practical skills with the aim of eventually being able to independently undertake external internships."
Amparo de Bruijn-Wols (35) and her family were thriving. With a flourishing business, they felt they could conquer the world together. But when her husband ended up in the hospital due to a heart attack, everything collapsed. Amparo had to file for bankruptcy for the company. “Suddenly, we had a gap of 1,500 euros per month.” The family – with three children – faced significant financial problems due to the father's health, but they couldn't find any place to get help: “We were always left out because we didn't meet all the conditions,” Amparo explains. It became increasingly difficult to provide the children with enough and varied food to take to school. “Your children come first, no matter what. But you are constantly trying to piece things together and fill gaps to feed them.”
Now that the Budget Memorandum has been presented on Prinsjesdag, we know for sure: school meals will go ahead! The budget includes a structural allocation of 135 million euros for school meals. “This is fantastic news for the 350,000 children for whom school meals make the difference between sitting in class hungry or not,” says Hans Spekman, director of the Youth Education Fund, which runs the School Meals Programme together with the Dutch Red Cross. “School meals contribute to increasing equal opportunities, reducing (child) poverty, and promoting a healthy lifestyle among children. Fortunately, the politicians see this too.”
A mosaic of children's drawings forming a plate of food adorns the back of today's Algemeen Dagblad. In the full-page advertisement, 350,000 children urge politicians to continue with school meals. Time is running out to prevent children from sitting in class hungry. Although most schools have resumed and the government programme is about to be presented, it is still unclear whether the School Meals Programme will continue after December 2024. Students, parents, and teachers are very concerned and participated en masse in a drawing campaign initiated by the Youth Education Fund.
