The Way to the Heart Is Through the Stomach

ACP funds the daily production of approximately 7,500 buns and an equal amount of soy milk or soy yogurt cups. Six days a week, the food is distributed to 7,500 children in 132 educational institutions, including two daycare centers, 58 kindergartens, 65 elementary schools, an orphanage, and a sports school. A total of around 60 employees work at the four factory locations.

Sweet rolls to try

At the China-North Korea border, we meet our long-standing project partner N., who has been managing the project on-site for ACP for 17 years. N. visits the factories regularly—currently twice a month—to monitor production and ensure compliance with standards. At a meeting on the Chinese border with North Korea, N. brings along rolls that he picked up during his last visit, froze, and then thawed. We are delighted by the taste and quality of the rolls. They each weigh 80 grams and are coated with a slightly sweet sugar crust. Tasting them is one of the highlights of our trip.

Loyalty Pays Off

For two decades, ACP has been the only humanitarian organization operating continuously in North Korea. This long-standing commitment has led to us being well-known and valued by local authorities. Especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, our continuous support paid off, as production could be maintained—at least partially—despite the closed border.

During our stay in China, we received two calls from North Korea: both a high-ranking government official and a factory manager expressed their appreciation and hope for the continuation of the projects.

Cautious Investments

The facilities at the four locations are, in some cases, showing their age. To ensure the safety of employees and the efficiency of production, investments are therefore necessary on an ongoing basis. However, we are currently still cautious about further, larger expenditures because we first want to personally assess the condition of the infrastructure.

The largest single investment was the complete renovation of one of the four sites, which had been idle in recent years. The plant is located on a site of approximately 2,800 m² at a major economic hub. Renovation work began in August 2025, with the workforce actively participating in the construction efforts. Since the work was completed, this factory has been producing 2,000 rolls and 300 litres of soy milk daily.

Hungry for more

Three 17-year-old women have recently started working at one of the four locations, baking rolls. They themselves received bread from the project during their school years as children and now understand its origins. This makes them the second generation of children to be provided with daily food through the aid project.

The four factories are located in areas with a total population of over 300,000, including around 30,000 children. By providing 7,500 children daily with bread, soy milk, and yogurt, the ACP project reaches about a quarter of all preschool- and elementary-aged children in these areas. Time and again, our project partner N. reports on the gratitude he encounters during his visits. Bread rolls and milk are an expression of God's love for North Korean children.