North Korea: Hunger Busting Beans for Orphans

Bean Protein for Vulnerable Children
In North Korea, chronic hunger is common and families struggle hard to feed their children.
Women are the caregivers. If mom gets sick and there are no other women in the family to care
for the children, they often end up in an orphanage. Children in orphanages tend to suffer a
greater degree of malnutrition and as a result, are stunted. Malnutrition is a cause of hunger.
We are excited to work with First Steps again to help provide soybeans for four orphanages in the
city of Wonson. In 2009 we raised enough money to purchase a VitaCow machine that grinds soybeans
and provides up to 2000 cups a day for the children of these orphanages. We also provided
funds for 3 months of Canadian grown soybeans and a couple of stainless steel milk containers,
but right now, because of drought, our VitaCow is hungry for soybeans and so are the children!
Our VitaCow has joined a small herd (6 other machines) in a factory that supplies soymilk to
several orphanages and schools in the Wonson district. It works hard, up to 18 hours a day
producing 45 litres an hour or 810 litres of milk a day—that is when it is at full production and
there is no interruption with electricity failure. North Korea is always under the constraints of
available electricity.
Soybeans are full of nutrients and are digestible even to children who are severely malnourished!
The ongoing consumption of just one glass of warm vitamin-rich soy milk a day provides the
children with their daily protein. Plus many other foods are made from soybeans including the
bi-product of the soybeans – the stuff that doesn’t go through the filter. Healthy foods such as
tofu, bean paste (used in soup) steamed bean cake, and even soybean pancakes and soybean
meat that are cooked with soybean oil! Nothing goes to waste!
We want to keep our investment in our VitaCow producing the much needed soymilk for the little
children so we’ve set a goal to raise 10 tonnes of soybeans – a cost of about $6,500. That will help 821 children enjoy a
daily portion of nutritious soymilk for an entire year. It’s about $7.90 per child!
Set yourself a goal and use this thermometer to help you reach it…just imagine, the beautiful
smiles of healthy children and remember: No soybeans means No protein for these children!
In partnership with First Steps: www.firststepscanada.org

Download a Project Sheet in PDF
Beans for Protein for orphans in North Korea