Providing meals for children in mountainous areas urgently requires collective support.

The Bach Dan village kindergarten, part of Lam Thuy Kindergarten, is located in a remote, mountainous area. The road to school is winding, slippery in the rainy season, and dusty in the dry season. Here, 100% of the students are children of the Bru - Van Kieu ethnic minority, who mainly live off farming, resulting in unstable incomes.

The government's meal allowance policy is a practical encouragement, but in reality, it only meets the minimum requirements. Nutritional supplementation for children remains limited. Teacher Le Thi Bich Hoai, in charge of the Bach Dan village preschool, shared: "There are days when I feel sorry for the children eating; their meals are simple and not nutritious enough."

The Military Command of Kim Ngan commune and the teachers of Bach Dan village preschool prepared the dishes.

This reality shows that, in addition to policies, the joint efforts of all forces are needed to ensure that meals are not only filling but also nutritious. Based on this reality, the Military Command of Kim Ngan commune has implemented the "Meals for Children" model in a simple and effective way. Once a month, using funds from their self-sufficiency program, officers and soldiers coordinate with schools to cook meals for disadvantaged schools.

From early morning, while the mist still blankets the paths, the caregivers are already at the market, selecting fresh, delicious food suitable for young children. Everything is carefully considered to ensure proper nutrition. Lieutenant Colonel Do Ly Bang, Commander of the Kim Ngan Commune Military Command, said: “Based on the practical realities of the difficult lives of the people in the mountainous Kim Ngan area, the Commune Military Command held meetings to discuss what to do to support and encourage the children to go to school. Therefore, we actively increase production. Every month, we sell our harvested products and regularly cook a better meal for the children than usual. Seeing the joy in their eyes, we feel we need to try even harder.”

In the small kitchen behind the classroom, the fire blazed, and the soldiers and teachers each had their own tasks. Some washed rice and picked vegetables, others fried fish and braised meat. Smoke from the kitchen spread through the Trường Sơn mountain range, carrying the aroma of freshly cooked rice and hot food. By noon, the meals were ready: white rice, meat, fish, eggs, and vegetable soup were neatly divided into trays. Lieutenant Colonel Phan Thanh Lâm, Deputy Political Commissar of the Kim Ngân Commune Military Command, emphasized: "This program not only provides nutritional support but is also a concrete way of carrying out civilian outreach work, contributing to strengthening the bond between the people and the armed forces."

It warms the hearts of the children.

When the trays of rice were laid out, the atmosphere at the school became lively. The children lined up neatly, their eyes full of anticipation. The officers and soldiers sat down at eye level, carefully spooning rice into the children's mouths, coaxing them to eat. Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Duc Phong, a finance officer at the Kim Ngan Commune Military Command, shared: “Many children are thin and eat slowly, so I have to sit next to them, feeding them and encouraging them. Some children finish eating and then turn to smile; it's very heartwarming.” These innocent words became simple rewards. Ho Van Phong happily said: “The rice is delicious, Uncle!” Ho Thu Thuy whispered: “Thank you, soldiers!”

Lieutenant Colonel Do Ly Bang, Commander of the Kim Ngan Commune Military Command, affectionately interacts with the children.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Van, Principal of Lam Thuy Kindergarten, said: "The meal subsidy policy has helped the school maintain its semi-boarding meals. The school organizes main and supplementary meals, but the menu is sometimes not very diverse. The support of the Kim Ngan Commune Military Command through the 'Meals for Children' program has contributed to improving the quality of meals. What is touching is not only that the meals have added meat and fish, but also the kindness of the soldiers of Uncle Ho's army."

The soldiers from the Kim Ngan Commune Military Command are very kind and caring towards the children.

Perhaps later, the children won't remember all those meals, but they will never forget the heartwarming feeling of having the soldiers quietly light the fire and cook them a complete and meaningful meal. From these simple things, the young sprouts in the highlands of Kim Ngan, Quang Tri, will grow stronger, carrying with them the belief in a bright future.

    Source: https://www.qdnd.vn/nuoi-duong-van-hoa-bo-doi-cu-ho/bua-com-cho-em-com-ngon-lam-chu-oi-con-cam-on-cac-chu-bo-doi-a-1038126