Nutritious milk for undernourished Thai children

Healthy and affordable food is becoming harder to obtain all over the world because of the corona pandemic. And now malnutrition is increasing among Thai children due to the current food shortages caused by the economic situation. FrieslandCampina Thailand is working together with The Mirror Foundation to bring nutritious milk to these families throughout the country.

One million packs of Foremost milk for Thai families

‘During the pandemic, we have received countless request for food aid from all over the country,’ says Veraporn Prasoprattanasuk, Head of Corporate Communications and Fundraising at The Mirror Foundation. This is a nationally active foundation that aims to bring about social change. FrieslandCampina’s Foremost is a familiar milk brand in Thailand that has already been present in the country for 65 years. Together, as part of the drive to provide healthy nutrition and to combat the effects of corona, they aim to donate a million packs of Foremost milk to Thai families with young children.

Veraporn says that, in Thailand too, the poor have been hit especially hard by the coronavirus crisis. ‘We have received many requests for help from mothers who have lost their jobs or have financial difficulties, leaving them unable to give their children enough food. They themselves hardly have anything to eat, either, and they’ve been asking for a box of milk for their children. They don’t want their children to be hindered in their growth and development by poverty, and good nutrition is a crucial factor here.’

No school, no milk

The lockdown last year also meant that schools were closed, which put a temporary stop to the government’s school milk programmes. Moreover, it is inhibiting the growth and general development of some children. ‘In rural areas and outside the cities, this free school milk is hugely important for underprivileged children,’ explains Veraporn. ‘This is the only way they can reach the required daily level of nutrition. When things get really tight, the poor tend to spend their money more on a meal (often with rice) than on milk. But the nutritional value of rice milk doesn’t compare to that of real cow’s milk.’

Line up for a meal

The ‘Rai Som Learning Center’ in Fang, Chiangmai (in the north of Thailand), is a subsidiary of The Mirror Foundation. This education centre runs a class for underprivileged children from rural areas. ‘Families send their children here not only for education, but also because they get food,’ explains Veraporn. ‘They line up for a meal, and once they have eaten this food, they can line up again if there’s an extra food donation. Some children do this until their bellies are quite round. It’s sad to see how they feel compelled to do this, because they don’t get enough to eat every day.’

Domino effect

‘Previously, we just provided lunch. But then we realised that some children didn’t get any breakfast at home before they came to the education centre. Because they were hungry, it was hard for them to concentrate and learn. So we decided to devote extra resources and to add breakfast.’ Veraporn’s experience in the field reveals how financial problems can lead to malnutrition. ‘If our children don’t get healthy food, then this affects their growth, development and quality of life. And in the longer term, this harms the development of our country. So we’re happy to have partners like Foremost who help us feed the children who need it most.’