By Priscilla Heffelfinger | Co-founder and Executive Director
When we first had the idea of bringing bananas to a school, I must admit it all seemed a little limited to me. What could the impact really be?
From the first delivery, I was hooked. The work mattered; it felt wholly essential.
When we first had the idea of bringing bananas to a school, it seemed trivial, akin to one-off volunteering at a soup kitchen—good, but limited. There wasn’t the robust data I associated with impact. I was skeptical. So at the beginning, I was just going along for the ride.
We kept bringing bananas, and every time the kids saw us coming, their faces lit up. They’d run to help us carry the fruit and sneak back into the handwashing line repeatedly. Their shy mothers expressed their gratitude with murmured blessings.
The teachers asked us to come more. The two days a week we brought bananas, the school had nearly perfect attendance.
The community jumped in—friends from home gave money, and locals and expats asked to join us on deliveries. It took shape.
We’ve been at it for 12 years, feeding thousands of children nutritious meals every day across Bangladesh and the Philippines.
The impact speaks for itself: attendance rates are over 90% at the schools we serve—well above the national average. And the children are truly thriving! From kindergarteners to high schoolers, I’ve watched them become their best selves. Some are now doctors, teachers, and makeup artists. Others are the first in their community to swim races, receive journalism awards, and go to college. The list goes on. I have no doubt that nutrition, coupled with school, is a total game-changer.
I didn’t go looking for Thrive. I even tried in the early days to downplay its importance to me. But once you’ve walked into a school and seen the genuine relief and simple joy our meals bring, you can’t turn back. You want to do more. I will continue with Thrive until it is no longer needed —until all kids thrive.
But once you’ve walked into a school and seen the genuine relief and simple joy our meals bring, you can’t turn back. You want to do more.
My goal is to put ourselves out of business. I will continue with Thrive until it is no longer needed —until all kids thrive.
