Going to school without breakfast or being stressed because your parents have money problems. Unfortunately, quite some children in Rotterdam experience this. That is why this year, over 280 employees of our university are donating their end-of-year gift to the 'Not an Empty Stomach' Foundation (stichting Niet Graag een Lege Maag), which provides Rotterdam school children with a good breakfast or lunch. Johan Muurlink, aka "Johan the Sandwich Man" and founder of the foundation, knows that that the sandwiches mean more than attending school without being hungry: 'It gives the children more space to play and have fun, without stress.' According to endowed professor of child poverty Nicole Lucassen, poverty is therefore more than just a lack of money: 'Growing up in poverty looks different for every child. We need to be more aware of that.'
Almost three years ago, endowed professor of Child Poverty Nicole Lucassen (ESSB), in collaboration with the municipality of Rotterdam, the Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences and the National Fund for Child Aid, started a study on tackling child poverty in Rotterdam. All data collection has now been completed and initial results have been shared with stakeholders.
In October 2024, the definition of poverty was changed, which would now mean fewer people are living in poverty. 'It is good that we all look at it with the same perspective now', Lucassen believes. 'But the focus is too much on money and the lack of money. Child poverty is about so much more than money. When it comes to intergenerational transmission of poverty, putting more money into a family is often not enough.'
'Not an Empty Stomach' Foundation
Over 8.5 years ago, Johan Muurlink noticed that not all children at his son's primary school were getting enough to eat and he started making sandwiches for those children. Right now, the Not an Empty Stomach Foundation makes 10,000 to 12,500 sandwiches a week for Rotterdam school children. Ten to 15 volunteers are ready to make sandwiches at 7 a.m. and deliver them to the schools before 10 a.m. by electric cargo bike.
The foundation is largely supported by donations, but nowadays also by the subsidy that schools can apply for. The sandwiches are kept as cheap as possible for the schools, while the foundation strives for high quality and distributes healthy sandwiches. The bread comes from master baker Uljee, fruit is provided and there is, for example, cheese, cucumber and lettuce on a sandwich. Johan: 'The way I gave my son his lunch box, that's how it should be for all children and that's how I try to do it.' But the wishes of schools and children are also listened to and so it includes sweet toppings and packets of drinks with 0% sugar. Boiled eggs will also soon be served on bread.
Children also experience financial stress
Johan sees that many children unconsciously take on their parents' stress about finances: 'A child is not supposed to worry about those things. It costs them time. While you need that time for play, fun and happiness. If we can take all that away, they will have a better future. Because the less stressed they are, the less hungry they are in class, the better they perform.'
There are many different risk factors that can push a family into poverty. As a result, growing up in poverty looks different for every child. 'One child experiences having to go to school without breakfast, another experiences stress at home because he feels something is going on but cannot put his finger on what it is', says Nicole Lucassen. She also sees that this can have adverse effects on the child: 'It can have an effect on all areas of development. Both cognitively: how does a child do at school, and social-emotionally: to what extent can you participate in society?'
More requests for sandwiches
'I always say: we are a band-aid, nothing more. But we are a good band-aid', Johan says. 'The system was already messed up, but it's only getting worse. I notice it has become more and more children in certain schools. I've been doing it for 8.5 years now and some schools have gotten 100 per cent worse in that time, that scares me.' A collaboration between the foundation and a secondary school was already running and soon sandwiches will also be delivered to a branch of Albeda College. 'When children go from primary school to secondary school, they are not suddenly less poor. But no thought is given to that.'
Cooperation between organisations is crucial
According to Lucassen, all the systems children have to deal with growing up need to be considered, such as the neighbourhood they grow up in, the opportunities they get at school and the house they live in. To tackle child poverty structurally, you need to invest in these systems. But what does that look like in practice?
Making all systems work together is a complicated task. Often, organisations work on islands from their own knowledge. But the first steps have been taken. 'At Erasmus MC, a pilot is being launched in which a social worker from the municipality is present in the patient centre, so that -if, for example, a paediatrician picks up certain signals- they can more easily refer to someone who knows what the possibilities for help or support are in Rotterdam', Lucassen says. 'That is not for a paediatrician or teacher to know. They have their own expertise. It's really about different parties knowing where to find each other and being able to refer to the right party.'
The valuable role of informal organisations
Local organisations in Rotterdam neighbourhoods, like House of Hope, Goud van Noord and Thuis in West, play a very valuable role in combating poverty, says Lucassen. 'These organisations have something that many other organisations don't have: they are at the heart of the neighbourhood, close to the families. Many know the children from an early age. These organisations should get more recognition.'
'Give children the opportunity to share their wishes and ideas'
Yet children are often observed only from a distance, or sometimes left completely alone. As a result, there is not always a clear picture of the specific wishes and ideas children have. 'Just ask them the questions: "What makes you happy?", "What are you good at?","What do you find difficult and what helps you with that?"', says Lucassen. ‘You don't have to name at all: ‘You are growing up in poverty, what can we do for you?’ Children also have the right to share their needs without being immediately labelled.'
Development
Lucassen says that over the past decade, people have become more aware that living in poverty is not always people's own fault. She cites the benefits scandal as the most painful example of this. 'In addition, more and more people are at risk of falling into poverty due to increasing inflation, even though some people work 60 hours a week', the researcher says.
'We have had a Minister for Poverty Policy, so the recognition is increasing. It is sad that such a minister is needed, but we have to keep working on stereotyping and visibility.' On recent developments in Dutch politics, Lucassen says the following: 'What I particularly took from the current policy plans is that they don't want poverty to increase. That sounds quite positive, but what they actually say with it is that they are not going to try to make it decrease as well.'
Sandwiches in 2025
For the Not an Empty Stomach Foundation, the gift from Erasmus University Rotterdam - one of the largest they receive - means they can get everything done better this year, because with the holidays approaching, the budget is often a puzzle. Johan is therefore very happy with it. 'My Achilles heel is children, these are all my children too, I am a father of 1,000 children. That affects me a lot', he says. 'These children are our next generation and future.'
The following products were donated from the year-end gift to Not an Empty Stomach Foundation:
- 1020x Royal Orchard strawberry jam 240gr
- 480x Blackcurrant jam 230gr
- 960x Chocolate sprinkles milk 200gr
- 462x De Ruijter Chocolate Flakes Milk pack 300gr
- 5939x Chocomel 0% Added Sugar pack 20cl
- 4000x Peijnenburg Breadboard cake slices 28gr
- 40x Ferrero Nutella Hazelnut spread bucket 3kg
- 5400x Wicky Raspberry 0% mini pack 20cl
- 10000x 20gr sliced young mature cheese
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In spring 2025, the first results from the Child Poverty Research Programme will be shared . More information on this event will follow later.
More science stories? Have a look at our online magazine Erasmus Extra.
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