Congo/ Education: 530 schools to benefit from school canteens this year

On October 10, in Brazzaville, the World Food Programme (WFP) signed a memorandum of understanding with the Ministry of Pre-school, Primary and Secondary Education and Literacy, approving the retrocession of twenty-five school canteens to the government to supply five hundred and thirty schools across the country this year.

For the current school year, the WFP has handed over twenty-five school canteens to the government. Purchased with funds from the U.S. Embassy in Congo, the offer will provide food for 330 public schools in eight departments of the Congo: Cuvette Ouest, Cuvette, Likouala, Sangha, Plateaux, Pool, Bouenza and Lékoumou.

The aim of the project is to help improve schoolchildren's nutrition and guarantee their school attendance and performance, with a view to combating school drop-out, a growing scourge in the Congo. " Our initiative has ensured food coverage for almost 28% of schools in Congo, and raised the enrolment rate from 76.98% in 2022 to 83.65% in 2023 in WFP-supported schools. Similarly, the retention rate of pupils in class reached 96.61% over the same period, thanks to the school canteens. By relaunching this project, we are reaffirming our confidence in the government's ability to sustain this essential initiative ", emphasized WFP representative Gon Myers.

For the US ambassador to Congo, the partnership with Congo is an opportunity for his country to contribute to the development of Congolese human capital. "Education is a priority for our partnership in the Republic of Congo. The school canteen program is an opportunity for the USA to support the development of human capital and the education of children from disadvantaged families. In 2004, the USA donated over $98 million to the Republic of Congo to support the school canteen program. In 2021, U.S. taxpayers have offered $25 million to continue this program," said Eugene Young.

Moved by the renewal of this program, Jean Luc Mouthou, Minister of Preschool, Primary and Secondary Education and Literacy, praised the partnership with the WFP and thanked all its partners for their contribution to food security. He pledged to continue the initiative in order to guarantee a rise in the learning rate in schools.

Source: www.adiac-congo.com/