Despite modest costs, thousands of Czech parents cannot afford school lunches for their children. Behind this troubling trend lie familiar culprits: marriage breakdowns, job losses, and health problems. Even state-subsidized cafeteria meals remain out of reach for many families. The “Lunches for Children” project, which assists families in crisis, warns that these numbers are growing—with their workload peaking at the start of each school year.
The initiative has supported nearly 16,000 children in the first three quarters of this year alone, partnering with over 1,150 schools and cafeterias nationwide. Support requests have surged 15% year-over-year, with Prague surprisingly showing the sharpest increase at 20%, despite being the country’s wealthiest region. Project coordinators attribute this to a simple economic reality: “Prices are rising faster than wages,” explains Barbora Nejedlá, the project’s main coordinator.
Regular school lunches provide children with more than just nutrition. “Children feel like part of the group, gain confidence, and get the energy they need for learning,” Nejedlá notes. Behind each statistic are real stories—like eight-year-old Tereza from Central Bohemia, who lives with her mother and two siblings. When her mother lost her job due to serious illness, school lunch money disappeared. “Tereza would sit in the hallway or wait in the classroom while others ate. Today, she can eat with her classmates,” Nejedlá shared.
The Czech Republic isn’t alone in confronting this issue. In Italy, a case that captured national attention involved a schoolgirl from Verona who ate only crackers with tuna each day instead of cafeteria meals. Before aid organizations could intervene, football star Antonio Candreva of Inter Milan learned of her situation and offered to cover the costs. His gesture highlighted a social problem affecting even Europe’s third-largest economy.
The project operates through a streamlined process: schools and cafeterias register online at women-for-women.cz, then submit applications for specific children (with parental consent). The Ministry of Education, which supports the initiative, calls it an exemplary collaboration with the nonprofit sector. “Supporting equal access to education and school meals is essential for us,” stated Svatopluk Pohořelý from the ministry. “Thanks to the Lunches for Children project, thousands of children have better conditions for healthy development, improved concentration in class, and significantly better social integration.”
