More about Lunch Farms

This has been another hot and busy day. We visited four farms today at Ban Rapoo, Ban Rarmard, Pak Klong and Natong Klang. All of these schools are doing well. Two of them, I have to admit, would probably be doing fine without us.

Rarmard school has its own Palm Oil plantation which is very profitable. The profits are spent on school lunches. Children pay 100 Thai baht each month - about 1.50 uk - and can eat as much as they want every day. The food is really appetising and good, we would have joined in cheerfully. Pak Klong school has very poor land, so the head teacher has invested in cattle. He has 62 children and 90 cows. We were not quick-witted enough to ask whether this is a school with a farm or a farm with a school. Either way, the children benefit with plates piled with rice, fish and fresh vegetables.

Usually our work is long term so by the time we reach a conclusion the beginning is out of sight; this time the results have been achieved very promptly, on time and on budget. It has been really satisfying to see this project bring such very obvious results so quickly. I hope that some of the donors who have supported the lunch farm scheme so generously will read this and share that satisfaction.