China-donated school meals bring more than food to primary students in Myanmar

YANGON - As the morning bell rings at Basic Education Primary School (42) in Yangon region's Hlaingthaya township, hundreds of children stream into classrooms, their laughter filling the school compound at the start of Myanmar's 2026-27 academic year.

For many students, school now offers more than education. Through the Smiling Children Program, supported by the China Foundation for Rural Development, it also provides nutritious meals, a healthier environment, and a stronger sense of care and community.

At the school, which has about 560 students, teachers and parents say the program has brought visible changes to children's lives.

"With the program, students are attending school regularly," said Daw Than Than Kyin, the school's headmistress.

"Even those who used to be absent from school because of reasons like a little rain are now attending regularly," she said.

Compared with those who spend time outside school, children who attend regularly have shown improvements in both physical and mental development, she added.

"As they attend school regularly, they are under the guidance of teachers and have become more polite," she said.

The benefits are also reflected in their studies.