Mbinga Pre-School finds the link between full stomachs and achievements

Chalice site staff aim to feed minds and tackle student hunger. Young and curious pre-schoolers should be focused on learning new colors and shapes, but everyone knows how distracting an empty stomach is. Our Mbinga site staff knew that students at St. Theresia Pre-School often came to school without lunch. They couldn’t concentrate due to their hunger, something needed to change. 

A growing number of sponsored children in our site in Mbinga, Tanzania, attend St. Theresia Pre-School. The preschool is open from 7:00-11:00 am every weekday morning. Unfortunately, the school is only open for four hours because the school staff do not have the means to give the children any food.  

Most of the students come from very low-income families. They do not eat well at home and there is no food to bring to school for lunch. As a result, most children are fatigued, lack energy, and have poor concentration. Some children are acutely malnourished. 

The young students were not equipped for a full day at school. With only half a day available, they could only cover half the material, which essentially delays their learning. 

So, our Mbinga site staff incorporated a program that would provide meals to their students, who were five or six years old. This way they could improve the nutrition status of 13 sponsored and 40 non-sponsored children.  

Our school lunch programs help support students in need. The purpose of providing lunch is to nourish children so that they can excel in school! Our Ladles & Love nutrition program was designed for this purpose. Thanks to Chalice donors, students can now eat a nutritious meal at lunchtime and remain focused in class. 

Every day, the students eat a nutritious breakfast and one hot meal for lunch. For breakfast, they are served a cup of porridge. On top of their daily plate of lunch, the children eat fruit at least twice per week. 

These daily meals are improving the children’s health, energy levels, and concentration. The program is also reducing rates of absences and illnesses caused by malnutrition or weak immune systems.  

Now that the children have full stomachs, the school can stay open longer. This increases the children’s time spent learning and socializing. 

Nutrition programs help set children up for success because it helps fuel their brains. Preschool is a very important learning environment for young developing minds. They are building a lifelong foundation of knowledge and key details. Now, St. Theresia Pre-School is better prepared to help its students have a better educational experience.