Cambodia’s sprouts of change: healthier futures through safer child nutrition in schools

Imagine travelling across vast fields of rice, when you suddenly find yourself in a schoolyard. A Buddhist pagoda with gardens and ornate shrines stands out, a bit farther from the school in front of you. Built on land donated by the pagoda, the school serves as a learning hub for 450 children in the community.

From morning to evening, the schoolyard is animated with the sights and aromas of food vendors. In this remote area, where shops are a rarity, these vendors are a vital link, responsible for providing nourishing meals for the children.  

It's in this setting that an ambitious project has just begun. Targeting 150 schools and their communities in four provinces, the project Reducing non-communicable disease (NCD) risk in Cambodia has an exciting goal: to ensure healthy nutrition and food safety for children in schools.  

Supported by a grant of $1.5 million, this initiative is about more than just providing nutritious meals for children. It is about cultivating sustainable health-enabling environments with the active participation of everyone – parents, children, teachers, authorities, and school food vendors – in creating a healthier future for the next generation.