Milk, ham and bread are the components of a nutritious meal provided for students for free during recess at a primary school in the village of Xinben in Yizhang County, central China’s Hunan Province.

The repast is part of Chinese Student Nourishment Meal Program, a multi-billion project implemented by the Chinese government in 2011 to combat malnutrition in impoverished rural regions around the country.

  Pupils at Xinben Primary School enjoy a  nutritious meal. / CGTN photo

Earlier this year, the Ministry of Education (MOE) said that more than 36 million students from 134,000 primary and junior high schools have benefitted from the Program, enjoying a square meal for free every day.

According to the plan – a joint project between the Ministry of Finance, MOE and 13 other departments – schools are given three yuan (less than 50 cents) per day for each student to provide nutritious meals.

In Yizhang County, financial aid worth more than 36 million yuan (5.2 million US dollars) is allocated by the government on yearly basis for 63,000 students in impoverished villages.