In rural Romania, 30% of children from disadvantaged backgrounds do not eat lunch at home, and 28% do not eat breakfast or lunch, according to data from the World Vision Romania Foundation released Thursday.
In almost a quarter of vulnerable families (23%), there isn’t enough food to go round for the evening meal, and children are not eating dinner so their parents or younger siblings can eat.
On International Food Day (October 16), the World Vision Romania Foundation draws attention to the poor nutrition of children in rural areas, where poverty and food insecurity increase the risk of school dropout.
More than over 12,000 children from over 60 rural communities have benefited from the “Bread and Tomorrow” program implemented by World Vision Romania since 2016. In the 2024 – 2025 school year alone, the organization offered 123,633 portions of hot meals to children in 24 schools.
Food that keeps children in school
Through the “Bread and Tomorrow” program, World Vision Romania offers a daily hot meal and two hours of educational support for over 1,200 children from vulnerable rural communities. The project also includes remedial and educational activities under the guidance of 103 teachers, specially trained to work with students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Results that confirm the impact:
- school absenteeism has decreased significantly – more than half of the schools in the program have 99% attendance, and a third even 100%;
- 78.5% of the children improved their results in the Romanian language;
- 76% had progress in mathematics;
- About 80% of the students obtained grades of “Good” and “Very Good”.
These results demonstrate that a daily hot meal, combined with constant educational support, reduces the risk of dropping out of school and increases academic performance.
Nutrition of children in rural areas, according to World Vision Romania data:
- 30% of children from disadvantaged backgrounds do not eat lunch at home;
- 28% have neither breakfast nor lunch;
- In 23% of vulnerable families, food for the evening meal is not enough for everyone, and children give up dinner so that adults can eat;
- 22% of children go to bed at night without having had dinner;
- 44% of children consume pasta and potatoes daily, and only 8% eat meat daily;
- Only 24% of children eat fresh fruits and vegetables daily;
- 44% of rural households have had to buy food on debt in the last year;
“We can’t talk about education and equal opportunities as long as a child thinks more about food than lessons. In rural areas, for many children, the hot meal at school is the only one during the day. Through the Bread and Tomorrow program we offer not only food, but stability, hope and energy for learning.
Remedial classes and dedicated teachers are part of a complete package that gives children back the confidence and courage to dream of a better future.”, said Mihaela Nabăr, executive director of World Vision Romania.
The European context
At the European Union level, 24.2% of children under the age of 18 are at risk of poverty or social exclusion, according to Eurostat 2024.
Romania is in the top of the countries with the highest rates (33.8%), along with Bulgaria and Spain. The countries with the lowest rates – Slovenia, Cyprus and the Czech Republic – are also the ones that constantly invest in school feeding programs and educational support.
World Vision Romania Appeal
The study conducted by World Vision Romania in 2024 shows that, where the national “Healthy Meal” program is implemented correctly, school attendance increases significantly. Moreover, 22% of children say that this is the only meal they receive in a day, and 64% of school representatives have noticed an improvement in school attendance after the introduction of hot meals.
These results confirm the impact that World Vision also observes in its own program, “Bread and Tomorrow”, where the daily hot meal, combined with remedial classes and the support of teachers, leads to a reduction in school dropout and better school performance.
“Hot meals are not a benefit, but an investment in education, health and social equity. The results clearly show that a daily meal at school increases children’s attendance, improves their learning results and provides them with security and stability. We consider it important to expand the national Healthy Meal program for all primary school children, with priority for rural and vulnerable areas, where lack of food can stop learning.”, said Mihaela Nabăr, Executive Director of World Vision Romania.
About the “Bread and Tomorrow” program
- Launched in 2016, the “Bread and Tomorrow” program offers children from Romania’s villages:
- daily hot meal at school,
- support for remedial themes and activities,
- counseling and socio-emotional development activities.
- So far, more than 12,000 children from over 60 rural communities have benefited from this program.
You can support the Bread and Tomorrow program by making a donation here: https://worldvision.ro/implica-te/persoane-fizice/paine-si-maine/ or by SMS to 8844 with the text PAINE (2 euros/month).
Millions of tons of food end up in the trash. Food waste – a luxury the planet can no longer afford
