April 23 is World Book Day. Shakespeare once said, "Life without books is like no sunlight; wisdom without books is like a bird without wings." ”
The impact of reading on people's growth is huge, "there are poems and books in the belly", a good book can often change people's lives.
World Book Day was established to make it possible for people scattered around the world, old or young, poor or wealthy, sick or healthy, to enjoy reading.
However, in poor areas of some developing countries, many children are forced to drop out of school and leave school to work for a living because they do not have access to adequate food, thus losing the right to continue reading in school.
The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2021 report estimates that between 720 million and 811 million people worldwide will face hunger in 2020, including 282 million in Africa.
A free brunch allowed them to go back to school
In response to the problem of hunger and dropouts among poor children in some developing countries, the China Foundation for Poverty Alleviation launched the "International Smile Children Project" in 2015, which has been implemented in five countries, including Ethiopia, Sudan, Nepal, Myanmar and Pakistan, to help hungry children grow up healthily and return to school by providing them with meals or distributing food.
The project staff of the Ethiopian office of the China Foundation for Poverty Alleviation said: "Due to the meager family income, many students can only go to school hungry, and often go out to work or go to the street to beg in order to earn a day's meal, so the school dropout rate has always been high." The arrival of the Smile Kids Program allows hungry children to enjoy a complimentary breakfast and lunch. This not only allows them to get to school on time, but also to be healthier. ”
At 12:30 p.m., students lined up one by one and walked into the cafeteria. On the table in front, a stack of Ethiopian staples, Indira, was already stacked on the plate, and the chef scooped a large spoonful of potatoes for each person, which was the children's lunch.
Some children are reluctant to eat food after receiving it, and they are worried about taking it home and sharing it with their parents or younger siblings.
12-year-old Tariku Gilma's father died unexpectedly, her mother was unable to find a job, her mother, who had no source of income, had to go to the streets to beg, and Gilma always missed school every five minutes to follow her mother to the street.
▲ Tariku Gilma and his mother
The turnaround occurred at the end of 2018. Gilma's Montpaba Public Elementary School, which is selected as the beneficiary school for the Smile Children's Feeding Program, can now eat a free brunch at school.
In order to stop her mother from begging in the streets, Gilma would save some food to take home every day. In order to preserve it for a longer time, he asked his mother to dry the food and soak it in water when eating.
A loaf of bread, a dough cake dipped in different sauces, the most ordinary food, they all cherished.
"Thank you for the love of the Chinese people, it is a touching commitment. We have seen improvements in student nutrition, with students no longer fainting in class, being able to focus more, starting to achieve good grades, and advancing to the next grade with excellent performance. "The wife of the former Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Ms. Roman Tasfayeh, spoke highly of the Smiling Children project.
As the 27th World Book Day approaches, it is hoped that the Smiling Children's Feeding Programme will give these children peace of mind in school and gain more strength through reading and learning.
Locals are also working hard to create their own happy lives
While receiving gifts, locals are also working hard to create their own happy lives.
The school's feeding team has a loving name: "Moms Group", and the members are some local women who are responsible for the procurement of ingredients, the production and distribution of food, etc. Due to their low level of education, it is difficult for them to find stable jobs and thus have no fixed source of income. So while feeding children, the Smile Children Program also provides job opportunities for unemployed women.
In order to make breakfast at 7 o'clock, the "mom group" starts working from 5:45 a.m. every day. At 11:00 a.m., the preparations for lunch began again. A thin inji ramen cake carries their care as mothers and their gratitude for help from afar.
At The Burka Gudina school in Ethiopia, there was no place to eat in the school at first, and students had to squat on the ground to eat. Seeing this, parents spontaneously contributed labor, the local education bureau provided material support, and soon set up a temporary canteen where students could sit on wooden benches and eat.
These children have naïve dreams, and doctors, engineers, and pilots are their most desirable future careers.
And the two meals a day bring them not only the warmth of being able to eat, but also the carefree childhood time of not having to worry about food and clothing, but also allow those children who have dropped out of school due to hunger to return to school, receive education, and realize their dreams.
In 2019, the Smile Children Project was jointly named the "Best Global Poverty Reduction Case" by the World Bank, the United Nations System, the Asian Development Bank and others for their impact on hunger eradication, education and women's employment.
For children, what they eat is a vegetable on the plate, and what falls is the warmth from this world.
We invite you to join the Smile Kids Monthly Donation Program
Great love has no boundaries, and the hearts of the people are connected
Your donation will not only help more hungry children grow up healthily
It also allows them to stay on campus
Become the fulcrum that changes their destiny