While Grandma is still working in the fields and hasn’t yet returned home, Jane is the only one at home. She takes out packaged noodles and canned goods from the supply box, picks fresh vegetables from the backyard garden, and quickly cooks herself a bowl of noodles. Since it is summer break and there is no school lunch, Jane—though only a fourth grader—has learned to prepare her own lunch so that her grandma doesn’t have to rush home in the sweltering heat to cook for her.

Jane and her grandma live alone together in the mountains. Despite her age, Grandma gets up before dawn every day to work in the fields. If her orchard doesn’t yield much, she has to work in others’ orchards to earn extra income to make ends meet. Grandma is not very literate, and she always encourages Jane, “If you don’t understand something, go ask the teacher.” Even though Grandma can’t help with Jane’s homework, she remains Jane’s greatest support.

Jane is a diligent student. After school, she sits at the doorstep doing her homework while there is still daylight. She has noticed herself improving, which makes her feel more and more confident with her study.

Their life is simple. Most of the food on their table comes from their own vegetable garden, and meat is rarely on the menu. Child Welfare League Foundation (CWLF) has been consistently providing financial and material support since Jan was in first grade. During every school break, CWLF sends a supply box filled with packaged noodles, canned goods, rice, and other essentials. The supply box not only provides Jane with food but also brings her a sense of security. When school is out and Grandma is not home, Jane can cook noodles using the ingredients from the box instead of going hungry. It also eases Grandma’s worries. Sometimes, she even makes a simple meal to share with Grandma after Grandma comes back home from a long day of work.

For Jane, the supply box is not just about filling her stomach—it feels like someone is quietly looking out for her as she grows up.

While many children look forward to holidays filled with fun and play, for children in rural and underserved areas, school breaks can mean one less meal a day. During the school term, school lunches help ensure children get balanced meals—but once the long holidays begin, school lunches are no longer available.

To address this challenge, CWLF distributes supply boxes every winter and summer vacation, preventing children from going hungry when they need food the most. According to CWLF's 2022 survey on children's life situation in rural areas, 59.1% of children who received the supply box said it gave them something to eat when they were hungry, 53% said they got to enjoy tasty food, and 52.7% said it helped them get proper nutrition. These simple ingredients and basic supplies ensure a sense of security and health for children in need.

Long vacations should be a time for recharging and relaxing. However, for children in rural and underserved areas, long vacations can be times of hunger, loneliness, and loss. CWLF believes that school breaks should not create gaps in children’s development and that we should continuously carry out relevant service programs to support children. As a part of our Children in Rural Areas Services, the Nutrition Subsidy and Long Vacation Camp Program has been running for 16 years in 399 schools across Taiwan. This year, we will support 107 schools in organizing 178 summer camps, with a total of 3,844 children participating. We will also distribute 2,272 supply boxes to help children and their families enjoy their long vacations without hunger and worry.

Your attention and support mean a lot to children like Jane. We invite you to help them through the days without school lunches, so they can not only fill their stomachs but also grow up happy and healthy.

Act now:

https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/taiwan-children-nutrition-subsidy-program/

https://www.children.org.tw/english/donate