Full lunchboxes, happy schoolchildren
Today, one in four students sits in the classroom hungry. More than 43,000 children in Belgium eat insufficiently or unhealthily every day, regularly skipping at least one meal a day. When the news of so many hungry bellies reached Expliciet, it broke the hearts of our ‘hartenjagers’. With our speculaas sale, we are supporting the essential fight against empty lunchboxes by VZW Isbroodnodig. And we spoke with Marijke Lambreigts, the driving force behind VZW Isbroodnodig, and Marijke Bleus, director of BSBO Schakelschool in Kuringen, who fills empty lunchboxes together with the non-profit.
VZW Isbroodnodig is taking on the fight against empty lunchboxes in Limburg.
During her career, Marijke Lambreigts was active as a volunteer in India for many years. She taught English at an orphanage there until 2019, but after falling ill, she was forced to stop that project. Yet the itch remained for Marijke and Cees. This time, they wanted to sink their teeth into a local initiative.
Marijke Lambreigts: “During a visit, my nail technician pointed out that we don’t have to travel far. That poverty is closer to home than you might think. A teacher who also visited her nail salon had told her about children who regularly come to school with an empty lunchbox.”
“That gave us the idea to send out a survey to schools, and to our surprise, 42 schools responded to our call. Eight schools joined our initiative immediately, and we now work with 20 schools in Limburg. And there are still several conversations ongoing…”
Marijke Bleus: “We responded to the survey four years ago and have been filling empty lunchboxes and providing snacks with VZW Isbroodnodig ever since. A committed teacher at our school is dedicated to equal educational opportunities and she led this project. She challenged and helped us to look beyond the lunchbox initiative. Today, partly thanks to her, we have developed a broader vision regarding underprivileged circumstances within our school.”
Full lunchboxes, happy schoolchildren
Marijke Lambreigts: “We fill lunchboxes with sandwiches, toppings, and yogurt. Every month, the schools provide us with an order list that we fulfill through Colruyt via Collect&Go and a local fruit grower. We deliver to the school within two hours of collection. The schools, in turn, freeze the stock so they always have something tasty on hand to satisfy hungry stomachs. We also provide the schools with snacks, fruit, and some even get breakfast. And last year, through ‘Warmste Week’, we even set up a program to provide soup as part of our project. With Isbroodnodig, we really try to respond flexibly to the needs of schools, so if there is a need for other products, we always look at what we can do for them.”
Marijke Bleus: “At our school, children know that there are sandwiches available, and they often tell the teacher themselves if they don’t have anything with them. It’s all very low-key. If we notice students who regularly have to get through the school day without lunch, we naturally intervene. In any case, we are enormously grateful for the support of VZW Isbroodnodig, because you really see an empty lunchbox more often than you would think.”
‘You encounter a student with an empty lunchbox more often than you would like!’
No charity can exist without the necessary financial support. And that is where marketing makes a difference. In recent years, VZW Isbroodnodig relied mainly on word-of-mouth and lobbying. Today, companies and individuals find them spontaneously, thanks to an SEO-friendly, professional website with a clear brand story. These are their first marketing steps, and they are paying off.