By Amy Wei | Project Planning Specialist
Most kids think of dinner as sitting around the table, watching their parents perform magic in the kitchen, transforming simple ingredients into delicious dishes, and then enjoying the meal together as a family. But for Dong-Dong, she is the magician herself, and the long holiday nutritional packs are like a treasure chest, helping her turnthe absenceof hearty breakfasts and nutritious lunches during the long holiday into meals that fill her stomach.
Dong-Dong's mother works night shifts whenever possible to support their family of three. By flipping her day and night schedule, enduring the exhaustion, just to earn a bit more and provide a stable life for her child.Understandingher mother's hard work, says, “Work is tough, I can learn to cook myself…”
Standing on a stool, Dong-Dong skillfully washes the rice, places it in the rice cooker, and presses the cook button. As the aroma of freshly steamed rice fills the air, she opens a can of eel. The savory sauce and fish meat,combined with the warm, fluffy rice, make for a delicious meal.
As she grows more skilled in her 'magic', Dong-Dong can now transform the contents of the nutritional packs into delicious meals. She stir-fries tuna with corn and an egg, creating a fragrant and flavorful fried rice, or cooks mackerel with noodlesfor a hearty dish that is both filling and warming. After carefully setting the table, she invitesher family to share a rare and precious moment together.
In addition to canned food, Dong-Dong carefully saves long-shelf-life milk for busy school mornings, using it to quickly fill her stomach before heading out. A mature and considerate child, she plans her own meals thoughtfully, making sure the adults have one less thing to worry about.
There's a saying, "I can only truly cherish your sacrifices by living a happy life." The support and carefrom society for children in rural, disadvantaged areas ensure that they have food and warmth during long holidays.With hearts full of gratitude, Dong-Dong and other children in similar situationtreasure this kindness and use it wisely.
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Through “Taiwan Children Nutrition Subsidy Program”, the Child Welfare League Foundation has accumulated supported 1,889 schools over the past 14 years, held 2,687 holiday camp activities which over 64,146 children had participated, and nearly 54,070 nutritional packs have been distributed to help children stay well-nourished, bridging the nutritional gap for disadvantaged children and youth.
In the 2024 Long-Term Holiday Nutritions Supporting Program, the Child Welfare League Foundation will collaborate with 104 rural schools, and sponsor 185 summer educational camps. This initiative will ensure that 3,381 disadvantaged children have a fulfilling summer, 2,315 summer supplies boxes will be provided to help them stay well-fed and enjoy for their summer break.
The Child Welfare League Foundation hopes to encourage rural schools to cooperates and to organize more camps and club activities during long holidays. This would provide disadvantaged children and youth with more learning and recreational opportunities during holidays, reducing the learning gap between rural and urban children. We hope the public to pay more attention to the learning needs of disadvantaged children during winter and summer vacations. The Child Welfare League Foundation will continue to give resources and actively provide a safe, and high-quality camp activities, benefiting more disadvantaged children and preventing them from falling into the "summer lost" during long breaks.
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