How A Packed Lunch Can Transform A Community

Education has always been and will always play a vital role within the world. But what happens when that education is pitted against the need to work in order to survive? In Jajce, Bosnia, that is the reality for many children and teenagers. Some may start in education, others may not even have that chance, but for most, it always ends up with work replacing education. What if there was a way to remedy this long-term problem? Read on to hear how partners like you have enabled CBN’s Orphan’s Promise to be a part of the solution.

From survival to flourishing

When the health of family is on the line, education can be pushed out of mind and out of sight. The long-term impact this can have on a society and community can be detrimental. Instead of a thriving, growing, and flourishing town, it barely exists, trying to survive day-to-day.

For the children that are able to get to school, their education is greatly hindered by their lack of food. The impact this can have on their education can be very damaging as they lack the concentration needed to engage with the lessons and learning.

Rifeta, one of the teachers at the school shares, “70% of the students come from the Roma background. They really need our help because they usually come from multi-member families where nobody is employed and they live and survive through only farming.”

But thanks to our partners, CBN’s Orphan’s Promise have been able to step in and provide packed lunches that were desperately needed.

“Now fuelled by this simple packed lunch, these children are able to engage in the learning, embrace curiosity, and equip themselves for a brighter future.”

Rifeta highlights that “when you have a child that knows he has a lunch in school, then there is no need for that child to go aside or beg.”

The difference this has made within the school is tremendous.

“Through the project we have decreased the number of absences, the children are more regular in school, they are more successful, and they have a desire to continue their education. All of that leads to education, employment, and care for their family”.

Where children have younger siblings, they would often stay in education till 8th or 9th grade. They would then drop out so their siblings could go to school instead. Thankfully, that’s not the case anymore. The younger and older siblings stay at school together and will often remain there until they have a high school diploma.

“Now fuelled by this simple packed lunch, these children are able to engage in the learning, embrace curiosity, and equip themselves for a brighter future.”