Why is a Herentals charity collecting school supplies for 188 children?

MannaPlus is collecting new school supplies in Herentals for 188 children ahead of the new school year, according to Het Nieuwsblad, after an earlier VRT NWS report said the poverty organisation was seeking materials for 176 children. The immediate practical message is simple: people wishing to contribute should consult MannaPlus’s current appeal before buying anything, while families who need help can approach their school, their Groeipakket payment provider or the social services of their gemeente without waiting for the first invoice.

The appeal covers a familiar but easily underestimated part of the household budget. Starting school requires more than pencils and exercise books: depending on the child’s age and course, families may also face costs for a schoolbag, folders, sportswear, digital equipment, transport, meals and activities. MannaPlus’s message that poverty concerns much more than a shortage of food reflects the way financial pressure appears in children’s daily lives. A missing calculator or unsuitable bag may look like a small material problem, but it can expose a child’s circumstances to classmates and affect participation from the first day.

The rise from 176 children in VRT NWS’s report on 27 July 2026 to 188 in the later Het Nieuwsblad account indicates that the recorded need grew by 12 children during the campaign. The available reporting does not establish whether that change came from new registrations, revised household information or another administrative reason. Nor does it provide, in material accessible to Belgium Pulse, a complete public inventory of what has already been donated or what remains outstanding. Donors should therefore verify the latest list and delivery arrangements directly with MannaPlus rather than assuming that any stationery item will be useful.

For families, the first formal safety net in Dutch-language education is the schooltoeslag, an income-related annual allowance within the Vlaamse Groeipakket. Vlaanderen.be says entitlement is normally assessed automatically for children attending recognised Dutch-language education in Flanders or Brussels, provided the residence, income, enrolment and attendance conditions are met. Payment usually arrives between late August and December. A family that has received neither a payment nor a decision by the end of December should contact its Groeipakket payment provider. Families whose income has recently fallen can ask that provider about the manual ‘alarmbel’ procedure and the evidence required.

School support is not limited to the allowance. The Flemish government’s guidance on primary-school costs says parents may ask a school for an individual payment plan; some schools also use savings schemes or solidarity funds. A parent can begin with the class teacher, school administration or director and ask for a private conversation about the school’s bijdragelijst, the itemised contribution schedule. The school or its Centrum voor Leerlingenbegeleiding, usually called the CLB, may also know which local assistance is available.

In Herentals, residents can ask the gemeente or OCMW social service about financial and material assistance and about referrals within the local welfare network. This is an assessment rather than an automatic entitlement, so applicants may be asked for documents describing income, household composition and expenses. People unfamiliar with Belgian administration can ask whether interpretation is available or bring a trusted person. Herentals is in the Dutch-speaking region, and the relevant terms are therefore schooltoeslag, Groeipakket, gemeente and OCMW. In a French-speaking commune, families will more often encounter allocation d’études, administration communale and CPAS; Brussels residents should check whether their child attends Dutch- or French-language education because the competent community and application route can differ.

The scale of the MannaPlus request is local, but the underlying pressure is not exceptional. Statbel reported that 16.5% of Belgium’s population—more than 1.9 million people—was at risk of poverty or social exclusion in 2025. Its child-specific survey for 2024 found material deprivation among children across all three regions, with marked differences between Flanders, Wallonia and Brussels. These indicators cover much more than income alone: they examine whether households can afford ordinary elements of an acceptable life, such as suitable clothing, social activities, timely bill payments and replacing worn-out goods.

That broader evidence explains why a school-supply drive is both useful and incomplete. Frontline organisations can respond quickly and discreetly, matching concrete goods to children before classes begin. Public allowances and school cost policies, however, are intended to prevent recurring expenses from depending entirely on annual charity. The two approaches are complementary: a donated schoolbag solves an immediate problem, while income support, manageable invoices and accessible social services address the conditions that make the request necessary.

For donors, the safest sequence is to check the organisation’s current request, buy only the specified new items and confirm the handover point and deadline. For parents, the sequence is equally practical: review the school’s contribution list, check the Groeipakket record, tell the school early if payment will be difficult, and contact the OCMW or gemeente when the household budget still does not stretch far enough. None of those conversations should require a child to explain the family’s finances in front of classmates.

The next milestone is the distribution of the collected supplies before pupils return to class. What remains to be confirmed publicly is whether all 188 packages will be completed, which items are still missing and whether MannaPlus expects further registrations. Beyond this campaign, the number of families returning for help—and whether schools, allowances and local services can reach them earlier—will show whether the pressure is temporary or part of a more persistent affordability problem.