Since September 2011, our Foundation has expanded its activities with a new programme: on the basis of a cooperation with the Bokréta Children's Home of the Municipality of Budapest, we provide 40 children and young people living in the children's home with a hot meal, bread, yoghurt and fruit every weekday.

The cooperation was initiated by the staff of the Children's Home. We were pleased to accept their request, as our Foundation is committed to promoting and maintaining the physical and mental health of future generations. Unfortunately, the experience of recent years has shown that the current economic and social crisis is affecting this group more and more severely. Every day, we see that the number of children, young people and families with many children among the recipients of our canteen meals is increasing, and the number of recipients of our programme, which is run jointly with the Family Counsellor of the 3rd District, is also rising. Unfortunately, our experience reflects the trends described by sociological research, which show that child poverty is an existing and growing problem in Hungary (according to available data, there are currently nearly 450,000 children in disadvantaged situations in Hungary, of whom nearly 200,000 are in a situation of multiple disadvantage, which means that their families cannot provide for their basic needs). Unfortunately, despite targeted state measures, there has been no improvement in this area in recent years.)

Unfortunately, deprivation within the family and the resulting lifestyle problems often escalate to the point where it is necessary to remove children from their families (It is important to stress that under current legislation in Hungary, no child can be removed from his or her family because the parents have serious financial problems and cannot provide for their children).The Hungarian state takes care of the care, upbringing and education of these children after the measure has been taken. However, the austerity measures are not sparing the budgets of child protection institutions. Staff at the Bokréta Children's Home have told us that their maintainer, the Municipality of Budapest, has been forced to reduce the normative subsidy for childcare by 10%, which means that currently a child receives a gross amount of 700 forints a day for meals, regardless of age or special needs. Unfortunately, this amount does not cover the five meals a day required by law, and only part of it is used to buy the high-quality, healthy food (fruit, dairy products, etc.) that children need.

After considering the existing circumstances and learning about the very high quality and dedicated pedagogical work at the Children's Home, we are happy to rush to the aid of the residents and, starting from 19 September 2011, we will provide 40 children a day with nutritious hot meals, bread, fruit, yoghurt and other food. We believe that by doing this we are contributing to the mental and spiritual health of the young people in our care, in addition to meeting their basic physical needs. It is our belief, and of course the law, that every child has a fundamental right to have the necessary resources to ensure his or her healthy physical, mental and spiritual development, since without the provision of adequate quality of life, no one can lead an effective and meaningful life. (Just think how difficult it is to pay attention to anything other than hunger when you have a belly full of food.) In addition, the non-violent vegetarian diet that our Foundation advocates is an alternative to a healthy, varied diet that fully meets the nutrient and vitamin needs of developing organisms. The spiritual and lovingly prepared food we share is also good for the heart.

Finally, let us not forget that the fight against deprivation of children, and in particular of this most vulnerable group of children, is the responsibility of all of us, who are not yet able to take responsibility for themselves. It is also a responsibility because today's children will become tomorrow's adults who will build the society of tomorrow. If they grow up in a caring environment, as part of a community that takes responsibility for them, then perhaps as adults they will be able to take responsibility for their own lives, for their families, for the community in which they live. We are glad that through our work we can contribute to building a better future!