According to China Development Financial (hereinafter CDF), small schools in the remote countryside of Taiwan are struggling to keep children nourished during lunchtime due to geographic locations and a decreasing birth rate. CDF introduced the “Nutrition 100” program in 2005, benefiting over 100,000 students thus far. Before the 2019 fall semester begins, CDF has allocated another NT$5mn for 215 middle schools and primary schools in remote areas of Taitung, Yilan, Changhwa, Nantou, Yunlin, Chiayi, Pingtung, Kaohsiung, Taoyuan and Hsinchu.
CDIB Education & Cultural Affairs Foundation (hereinafter Foundation) points out the “Nutrition 100” program has been running for 14 years, for the purpose of keeping economically disadvantaged children of school age nourished. The foundation’s subsidy program caters to these children’s basic nutritional needs under the framework of the government’s school lunch program and helps to narrow the rural-urban gap.
According to Ms.Chang, a teacher at Fusing Elementary School in Ershui Township, Changhua County, the school has received subsidies from “Nutrition 100” program for two consecutive years. Over two-thirds of the schoolchildren from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds were not well-fed as their parents were too occupied with work to prepare meals. “Even though lunch is regarded as the most important meal, schools can only afford NT$23 per student for buying lunch groceries, which is barely enough for three dishes plus soup, and leaving nothing for milk or fruit,” said Chang. The “Nutrition 100” program provides schoolchildren with milk at least once a week and additional fruit, greatly benefiting to the kids.
Fusing Elementary School, located in the suburban Xinfeng Township, Hsinchu County, now uses CDF’s subsidies to buy organic vegetables five days a week, compared to once a week previously. Huang Wan-yun, Dean of General Affairs, said that students now always finish their meals every day, with zero leftovers. CDF’s subsidies also allow for a variety of fruits. When the kids found out they were getting kiwi fruit for lunch, they all cheered with surprise!
CDF has long been committed to improving the diet of schoolchildren in remote areas of the country. In addition to the “Nutrition 100” program, employees of CDF subsidiaries have also participated in “Lunch Dates” with teachers and students in remote areas. The employees voluntarily mobilize teams to visit sponsored schools and cook up a feast. Lunch dates allow CDF employees to engage in corporate social policy, helping fulfill the company’s social responsibilities on a long-term basis.
