UOB Thailand and FOOD FOR GOOD programme by Yuvabadhana Foundation have joined forces to tackle malnutrition issue among children in rural areas of the Northern part of Thailand. UOB Thailand raised funds to contribute lunch budget for five schools in Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai. The programme also provides educational materials on proper nutrition for students and teachers alike.
This collaborative effort between UOB Thailand and FOOD FOR GOOD was created to address the growing issue of malnutrition among impoverished children. According to the Ministry of Public Health in 2020, 2.9 million Thai children aged 6-14 years old are malnourished or at risk of malnutrition. This is consistent with the SEANUTS II’s study[ South East Asian Nutrition Surveys II or The SEANUTS II studies 14,000 children in Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand in 2019 -2021. This survey was an initiative of FrieslandCampina (Thailand) Public Company Limited and Institute of Nutrition, Mahidol University.] (South East Asian Nutrition Surveys), which found that micronutrient deficiencies, undernutrition, and obesity are all having a negative impact on the health of children between 6 months to 12 years old in Southeast Asian countries, including Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand. This can lead to stunted growth and development and an increased risk of chronic diseases later in life.
Mr Tan Choon Hin, President & Chief Executive Officer of UOB Thailand, said, “Our commitment to addressing the malnutrition crisis among vulnerable children is unwavering. Through the collaboration with FOOD FOR GOOD, we are playing our part to ensure children have the nutrition for a strong foundation in life. With this in mind, we aim to provide them with nutritious meals as well as to empower them with food nutrition knowledge so that they can make informed choices about their diet now and into adulthood. This will help these children grow healthy, strong and capable of reaching their full potential.”
Ms Prapapan Banlusilp, Deputy Director FOOD FOR GOOD programme, said, “We are deeply grateful to UOB Thailand for their support in the success of our programme. Over the past 8 years, FOOD FOR GOOD has seen an incredible collaborative effort from the public and private sectors to help lessen malnutrition with nutritious meals for students in 70 schools across ten provinces. UOB Thailand is one of the many kind institutions that have acknowledged the gravity of this problem and contributed resources to address it. We greatly appreciate UOB Thailand’s commitment to helping provide monetary support and raising awareness on child nutrition issues.”
Ms Wanwisa Puttarakkit, a Teacher at Ban Pa Bong Thao Kaen Chan School in Chiang Rai province, one of the schools involved in the FOOD FOR GOOD Programme, said, “In all, there are 91 students ranging in age from kindergarten to sixth grade. Since most students are boarders, the school must serve all three meals daily. This means a lot of work for us. Nevertheless, since we joined the FOOD FOR GOOD programme, in addition to the additional food budget, teachers here have been trained on how to manage meals, design daily menus, and what portion is appropriate for students of each age group. Because of this, the school can plan weekly menus with all the necessary ingredients to ensure that our students have a healthy and balanced diet that supports their growth and development. A recent data collection on students’ nutritional status indicated that there has been an improvement in their nutrition.”
This collaboration with FOOD FOR GOOD is part of UOB’s broader effort to create positive and lasting impact to our communities through its UOB Heartbeat CSR Programme, which focuses on art, children and education and promotes greater partnership, philanthropy and participation to help strengthen community bonds.
