Free lunch halfway up the mountain

In the mountainous region of Dak Sao (Quang Ngai), teachers not only teach but also 'transform' into chefs, cooking lunch for poor students. Thanks to this, nearly 200 children here have a full stomach to go to school and no longer drop out.

Lunch break at Dak Sao 1 Primary and Secondary Boarding School (Dak Sao Commune, Quang Ngai Province) is very warm. In the school yard, the light smoke from the kitchen rises in the sunlight, the smell of new rice blends with the laughter of children. Teachers, some stir rice, some wash vegetables, some light the fire... Everyone is busy but their faces are radiant.

Students have lunch at school

PHOTO: CAM AI

For over 2 years now, teachers and students here have become accustomed to that scene. Nearly 200 students who are not eligible for boarding school still receive free lunch at school thanks to the generosity of teachers, parents and benefactors.

On October 11, Mr. Pham Quoc Viet, the school's principal, shared: "Most of the students here live far away, some have to walk several kilometers. Before, after school in the morning, they would go home to eat, but in the afternoon, many students were absent because the road was long and tiring. Feeling sorry for them, the teachers discussed cooking lunch for them, so that the students could rest and study better in the afternoon."

The free lunch model was launched in the 2024-2025 school year with nearly 180 students, and will continue into the 2025-2026 school year with 170 students. Every day, after morning classes, teachers go into the kitchen, some chopping vegetables, some washing rice, and some dividing portions. The funding is largely from the donations of benefactors, while teachers help with labor, contribute vegetables, tubers...

Each lunch consists of white rice, vegetable soup, fish, braised meat or fried eggs and for students in the highlands, it is a great joy. Y Nhu (5th grade student) shyly said: "Before, I had to go home for lunch, the road was very far so I was tired from studying in the afternoon. For the past two years, my teachers have been feeding me at school. The rice is delicious, with soup and fish, helping me feel full so I can study better."

In the Dak Sao highlands, maintaining the number of students attending school has never been easy. Therefore, the meals cooked by teachers not only help students feel full but also keep them coming to class every day.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/bua-com-trua-mien-phi-o-lung-chung-nui-185251014190702689.htm