Holt International’s nutrition programme transforms lives of two Chinese brothers affected by poverty and illness

A donor-funded initiative from Holt International is helping two brothers in northern China improve their nutrition, attend preschool, and make developmental progress after years of hardship linked to poverty and health issues.

A donor-funded nutrition programme from Holt International is helping two brothers in northern China eat better, attend preschool and make progress in their development, after years of hardship linked to poverty and illness.

Feng and Gui were born during the Covid-19 pandemic into a family with very limited means. After both parents contracted the virus, they developed chronic lung conditions, and the father’s health deteriorated so badly that he can barely breathe, according to Holt. Unable to care for the boys, the parents turned to the children’s elderly grandparents, who were also struggling with poor health and poverty.

The boys’ diet was once reduced to plain porridge and pickled vegetables, with little protein or variety. Holt said that when the brothers entered its family strengthening programme at about two-and-a-half years old, they were smaller than other children their age and found basic learning difficult. The organisation has worked in China since 1992 and says it supports tens of thousands of children and families each year through family strengthening, medical support and other services.

Now the boys are receiving a daily school lunch through Holt’s Food Every Day programme, which the charity describes as a monthly giving scheme designed to fight child hunger. Holt says the programme helps pay for meals that can include eggs, milk, meat, vegetables and fruit, and can also support families at home. The charity says donations can fund meals for individual children or larger households, with monthly contributions starting at a relatively small amount.

According to Holt, the change has already been noticeable. The boys are eating more often, growing, catching up developmentally and falling ill less frequently. Their concentration in class has also improved, and the family now hears more laughter at home. Holt says the case reflects a wider problem in northern China, where some children live with parents who are seriously ill or disabled and depend on grandparents who cannot meet basic nutritional needs.