Korean donor’s ‘memory of a cup of milk’ brings hope to children and women farmers in Bangladesh
Students eat “Shokti,” a fortified yogurt containing iron, iodine, zinc and vitamin A, at Naimuri Primary School in Sirajganj, Bangladesh, Oct. 28, 2025. Courtesy of Heifer Korea
A Korean donor’s childhood memory of drinking relief milk after the Korean War has grown into a program that is now improving nutrition for children and supporting poor women dairy farmers in Bangladesh.
Since 2023, the international development nongovernmental organization Heifer Korea has been running the “Milk for School” program in Sirajganj, Bangladesh, to address childhood malnutrition while strengthening the livelihoods of women-led dairy cooperatives. The initiative has already produced visible results.
According to local health data, nearly 50 percent of Bangladeshi children under five suffer from vitamin A deficiency, while 31 percent lack zinc. Around 22.6 percent are underweight and 28 percent experience stunted growth. To help tackle these conditions, Heifer Korea partnered with Heifer Bangladesh women’s dairy cooperatives, social enterprise Grameen Danone, and local authorities to introduce school milk feeding at five public primary schools in the Bangla Union of Sirajganj.
Today, 1,245 primary school students in the region receive free servings of Shokti, a fortified yogurt that provides around 30 percent of the recommended daily intake of iron, iodine, zinc and vitamin A essential for growth and development. At the same time, the program has secured a stable market for milk produced by women cooperative members, increasing household income and enabling greater investment in children’s education — creating a positive community cycle of nutrition, schooling, and economic participation.
Responding to requests from education authorities, Heifer Korea expanded the initiative to seven additional public schools in the more underserved Salanga Union, where 1,017 students will receive fortified yogurt five times a week. The second phase also includes parent education and community campaigns promoting milk consumption, alongside continued support to strengthen women dairy producers’ income and sustainability.
Women farmers at the center of the program
The program places Heifer Bangladesh women cooperative members — many of them mothers — at its core. Milk collected daily at cooling centers undergoes five to six stages of quality testing by trained cooperative members. Milk that meets quality standards is purchased at a stable price by Grameen Danone and processed into fortified yogurt. If standards are not met, veterinarians visit farms to diagnose issues and recommend improvements.
The women take pride in knowing that the milk they produce directly contributes to children’s health and growth. Since the program began, membership in women’s cooperatives has increased by 44 percent, while participating schools report improvements in student health and attendance.
The processed yogurt is transported to cooling centers and then delivered safely to schools using Tanda, a specially designed refrigerated bicycle adapted for Bangladesh’s hot and humid climate. The system received the 2024 Bangladesh Retail Awards for Last-Mile Distribution Innovation, ensuring fresh delivery directly to classrooms.
Students hold a banner expressing thanks to the late donor Kim Geon-cheol during the “Milk for School” backpack donation event at Uttar Mohanpur Government Primary School in Sirajganj, Bangladesh, on Jan. 15, 2025. Courtesy of Heifer Korea.
Beyond nutrition: hygiene, recycling and community impact
Alongside yogurt distribution, Heifer and local governments have also introduced hygiene education and installed hand-washing stations in schools. Used plastic yogurt cups are repurposed as seedling pots, while Korean-manufactured injection molding machines recycle remaining plastic into spoons — supporting resource circulation and carbon-reduction efforts.
The Sirajganj district education superintendent expressed hopes to extend yogurt feeding to all schools in the region, adding that road improvements are also planned to support safe and timely delivery.
A gift rooted in Korea’s own history
The Milk for School program began with a 100 million won legacy donation from the late Kim Geon-cheol, who grew up drinking U.S. relief milk powder after the Korean War. His family said he often recalled mixing powdered milk with water during times of hunger, and chose to donate after learning that Heifer Korea shared milk produced by poor farmers with children in need.
Korea’s own school milk program — launched in the 1970s to combat malnutrition and invest in the next generation — later expanded nationwide. Today, that experience is inspiring change abroad, connecting Korean dairy expertise with the needs of children and women farmers in Bangladesh.
At the second-phase launch ceremony, local private donors who had witnessed the success of the first phase also joined the effort. In the Bangla Union, where the first phase concluded in December, local business owners and ranchers have pledged continued support so that school yogurt feeding can be sustained through community-led funding beyond the program period.
“Heifer Korea’s Milk for School is more than just a cup of fortified yogurt,” said Heifer Korea CEO Lee Haewon. “It carries the care and commitment of many people, along with Korea’s proven history of transformation. We hope this program will expand across Bangladesh, bringing hope to more children and women farmers.”
Left, Heifer Project International carries out its hatching-egg support program for laying hens in 1952. Right, Heifer Project International works with the United Nations Korean Reconstruction Agency to implement the “Operation Noah’s Ark for Korea” program in 1953. Courtesy of Heifer Korea
Heifer Korea and its ties to Korea’s post-war recovery
Heifer Korea is the Korean branch of Heifer International, founded in 1944. Since its establishment, Heifer has helped 52.6 million households worldwide build sustainable livelihoods through livestock and agricultural support.
Between 1952 and 1976, during and after the Korean War, Heifer provided Korea with over 3,200 livestock, including dairy cows, bulls, pigs, goats and poultry, as well as 1.5 million honeybees and technical training to rebuild the nation’s agricultural sector. Many Korean farming families were able to escape poverty as a result — and the program also contributed to the early development of Korea’s dairy industry.
One notable beneficiary, Yonsei Dairy, began with 10 dairy cows gifted by Heifer International and has since grown into one of Korea’s leading dairy companies. In gratitude, the company has supported Heifer Korea since 2023.
Building on Korea’s transformation from aid recipient to donor nation, Heifer Korea continues to promote sustainable income generation through livestock-based development initiatives that help communities escape hunger and poverty.
This article is written by a generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.