World Food Programme Fighting Hunger Worldwide

A world free of hunger starts with empowering the next generation of leaders. In this photo, two girls from Safia Amajan School in Kandahar get to take home vegetable oil for their families, as an extra incentive for them to be sent to school. 

Female students at Safia Amajan School in Kandahar gather at the school grounds to receive their take home ration of vegetable oil from WFP.  Most girls in Afghanistan receive fewer than five years of formal education and providing them with food assistance is one way to motivate their families to send them to school.

Suhaila, 18, is in 9th grade at the Safia Amajan school in Kandahar. "I want to be a doctor," she says. It will be a tough path: she is one of six children, and her mother is recently widowed.

Suhaila, 18, and Marwa, 12, are students at the Safia Amajan school in Kandahar. They both want to become doctors. "I want to serve my country," Marwa says. WFP is helping their families by providing a take-home incentive of vegetable oil to these students so they may continue their education and fulfill their dreams.

Habiba Safi has been the Deputy Principal of Safia Amajan School in Kandahar for 10 years. "Half of the students would not come without the WFP food assistance," she says. "Many families do not have a male head of household, so the take-home oil is a big help for them."

Gulali, a widow at 19, dropped out of school after fourth grade. She now takes classes at the Safia Amajan school in Kandahar in the mornings and works as a cleaner in the afternoons in order to support her family. WFP provides a monthly family ration of vegetable oil to encourage her to finish school. "I have been so impressed by the teachers at this school," she says. "I would like to become a teacher myself some day."

Nine-year-old Mahmuda is in second grade at Zarghona High School in Kandahar. She has seven sisters and one brother. "I want to be a doctor," she says.

Mohammadia (center) says, "The biscuits taste good!". WFP provides fortified biscuits with essential vitamins and minerals to students attending school in order to help them grow and learn. 

Zarghona Ana is an all-girl's school in Kandahar.  As most girls in the country receive less than five years of education, WFP biscuits, distributed in school, help ensure that these girls attend class regularly.