Health & Nutrition Program

Malnutrition is a silent crisis in Cambodia, acting as a primary driver of the poverty cycle for families in Siem Reap. At REACH, we believe a healthy body is a prerequisite for a focused mind. Our Health & Nutrition Program provides a comprehensive safety net, ensuring hunger never gets in the way of learning.

Every daytime student at REACH receives a fresh, nutritious meal and a multivitamin to bridge critical nutritional gaps. This care extends beyond the plate: students have constant access to clean drinking water, deworming treatments every four months and eco soap for every family to improve hygiene at home.

Our kitchen is the heart of the REACH community. Meals are planned collaboratively and reviewed for nutritional balance. Ingredients are sourced fresh each week from trusted local suppliers, with a deep clean of the kitchen twice a week to keep everything sanitary. When there’s surplus produce, it goes straight home with our most vulnerable families rather than to waste.

This program is supported by parent volunteers who give their time in the kitchen. They turn up not because they have to, but because they want to be part of something that’s feeding their whole community, one meal at a time.

Twice a year, every student has their height, weight and BMI checked, so we can catch and support any child who needs it early. Students flagged with a low BMI receive extra support through our Garden Program’s fresh vegetables, multivitamins, and additional food, helping get them back on track.

As our students grow and become more active, we have noticed their appetites are at an all-time high. This is a positive sign of improving health; however, it has created a new challenge. Our current portions are being finished so quickly that there is often nothing left for the take-home meals relied upon by families in crisis.