You can’t feed the mind without feeding the stomach first. We came to terms with this when we realized that many of our community English students were coming to their lessons without having had breakfast and thus had a hard time concentrating on their verb conjugations. We fixed the problem by feeding them at the start of class, and out of this simple intervention grew a new resolve—to implement a dining program that would benefit many more of the hungry children in our neighborhood.
We decided to focus on the kids from Songkheum Thmey (New Hope), a nearby hamlet for impoverished families that Little Hearts helped establish. Many of our community English learners come from New Hope, but we wanted to make sure that all the kids there receive adequate nutrition, not just the 25 or so who attend classes on our campus.
Thus, our very first Feeding Program event was held successfully on Sunday, May 31, serving 50 children from New Hope. The day began when Martini (our all-round gardener, maintenance man and driver) went to New Hope together with Dina and Malee to pick up the children in our giant tuk tuk, the same one we use to deliver our own kids to school. Only 20 of the New Hope kids, the youngest ones, fit in the tuk tuk, while the rest came to Little Hearts by bicycle or were dropped off by their parents. By 9 am, all 50 had arrived, and the day’s activities could begin.
First things first: a snack of sweet corn on the cob was served. This event was, after all, about the food! The kids also got yoghurt drinks that had been generously provided two months ago by the GoodHill Company. (In anticipation of this event, we had set aside a good portion of the donated drinks.) We are grateful to GoodHill for their support, which helped make this day extra nutritious for the children.
The kids then engaged in a number of educational and recreational activities to make the day both meaningful and enjoyable. One of the learning activities focused on proper handwashing. The Little Hearts children took the lead in demonstrating the correct handwashing steps, thus encouraging good hygiene practices among the inhabitants of New Hope. This simple activity was a great opportunity for the children to learn from one another while reinforcing the importance of cleanliness and health.
We also organized a drawing activity where the children were invited to illustrate their favorite foods. This allowed them to express their creativity while sharing their personal interests and preferences. By combining food, learning, creativity, and play, we aimed to provide the children with a positive experience that went beyond overeating.
And the main event—lunch—did come eventually! The menu consisted of sautéed noodles garnished with plenty of vegetables and pork. Everyone, from New Hope kids to our own residents and staff, shared the meal together. We were fortunate to have a supply of noodles remaining from previous donations, which allowed us to make good use of available resources and maximize our budget. While one of the goals of this project is to promote healthy and nutritious meals, our priority for this first Feeding Program was to make the best use of the food supplies and resources we already had on hand.
“I can say that the first Feeding Program event was a success,” beamed Roxanne, our general manager. The New Hope kids were cooperative and very curious, especially with the hygiene activity, and they really enjoyed the games we prepared for them. (Indeed, they went a little crazy!). They loved eating all the food that we had cooked—it was all gone in a jiffy. We wish we’d made more. And when their parents arrived to pick them up, they expressed their thanks and asked if they could send more of their children to the next dining event.
The Feeding Program is a new project for Little Hearts, but our hope is that it will not be just a one-off event. Our goal is to make it a regular activity. If the program continues to be successful and sustainable, we hope to hold it more frequently, invite more children, and extend support to other communities and groups in need.
Of course, the continuation of the program will depend on the availability of funding. Little Hearts fully funded the first event in this series. As we prepare for the next one, we hope to find partners who share our vision and can support this meaningful cause with us. If you or your company are interested in participating, please contact Roxanne at the earliest (CenterManager@lho.ngo). We welcome support in any form, whether as a financial contribution or through in-kind donations of food ingredients and drinks, or even prepared meals.
For our part, we will strive to improve the program. After the first event, we held a post mortem and determined that certain things had to be done better. We underestimated the required amount of food, for example, so next time we need to make more. Activities also have to be tweaked. We realized, for example, that there was no meaningful engagement by the youngest participants (3 to 4 years old). So, next time, we need to consider the ages of all the kids when planning games and lessons. We also hope to receive positive feedback from participants and attract individuals, organizations, and partners who are willing to support and help sustain this initiative in the future.
Finally, a big thanks to all the helpers who made the first Feeding Program a success. Our cook, Samoeurn, supervised the kitchen, where several of our own kids, led by Dalin, worked tirelessly. The implementing team who organized the activities was supervised by Teacher Panha and led by Micky and Ben, while the survey and data team was overseen by Teacher JJ and orchestrated by Olivia. Each member of Little Hearts played an important role in ensuring the success of the program. It was an encouraging start, and we look forward to continuing this initiative and creating an even greater impact in the months ahead.
