One in five children arrives at school hungry according to a study reported by Spark Market Research across Europe. We went to a municipal school in Roux (Charleroi). The parents of students questioned do not seem surprised by the conclusions of this study.. “It’s complicated. We try to do the best for everyone”, underlines one of them. “Even working both, every month is difficult. The fact that we can give free food to children, we must take advantage of it”, add another.
In this school, hot meals have been distributed free of charge to kindergarten students for two years. Result: 90% of children benefit from it whereas they were only 5% when it was paying. “It’s great for families who don’t necessarily have the means. Here, the child is fed at least once a day correctly”, indicates Christine Masson, extra-curricular welcome.
According to a study, a quarter of families have difficulty feeding their children. This food insecurity has increased with the economic crisis according to Sabine Devergnies, director of the school. “We see less and less filled boxes, bread that is more like 5 days old than 2”she says.
In total, 22 municipal schools in Charleroi offer hot meals in kindergarten. This concerns 1244 students. For the City, it is still necessary to go further but that requires a significant organization. “We are talking here about 50 people hired for our 22 winning schools. There has also been material investment. We hope that this measure will be made permanent”, emphasizes Julie Patte, alderman for education in Charleroi. The Wallonia-Brussels Federation fully finances the meals.