2023-09-23 11:56:00
Since last year and thanks to Walloon subsidies, around ten Louviéroise locations have already benefited from free meals for many nursery school students. Since this Monday, first and second year primary school pupils from schools selected according to socio-economic indices can also enjoy a hot and balanced meal at midday.
At the municipal school on rue de Baume, its director admits to not having been convinced from the start by the formula, she who is testing free meals for the first time this year. “I was a little skeptical about the menus, seeing for example the vegetables that were in the preparations, but I must admit that in the end, I was worried for nothing,” confesses Isabelle Chantrain. “Children, in fact, appreciate vegetables and the way they are prepared. Sometimes they even ask for more and their plate is very often empty at the end of the meal. In my opinion, it is also the group effect, the mimicry, which also allows children to eat their entire plate.”
Students at the rue de Baume school can in turn benefit from free hot meals at midday. ©Th.D.Students at the rue de Baume school can in turn benefit from free hot meals at midday. ©Th.D.Students at the rue de Baume school can in turn benefit from free hot meals at midday. ©Th.D.Students at the rue de Baume school can in turn benefit from free hot meals at midday. ©Th.D.
The fifteen establishments which benefit from these free meals are located in places, neighborhoods in which the socio-economic index is very low. “These free meals ensure that certain children simply have a hot, varied and balanced meal every day. We are not able to accommodate nursery children for a full meal and that is why that we are only starting this action this year.”
For the month of September, around forty first and second primary school children are registered for meals. “And for October, we reached 70 registered, whereas last year, only a dozen meals were served on average, 25 on the best days. The success of the approach therefore does not need to be proven.”
Among the forty children present at the full meal this Friday, we met young Nicola, a 2nd primary school student who had just swallowed a huge bowl of soup. “The hot meal is good, it’s good, we eat with friends…”, the young man told us. “Yesterday we ate pasta with vegetables. Well, I didn’t eat all my vegetables but it was still good. Plus, when we eat together in the refectory, it’s much better than in the classroom where there is always a lot of noise.
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