World Food Programme Fighting Hunger Worldwide

Blanca Segovia is a single mother and the head of the household with 7 children. "I used to sell tortillas and earned $4 a day, which was not enough to pay for food, health and housing."

When Blanca heard the news that the School El Carmen needed to hire a group of women who would offer the service of serving lunches to students, she organized a group to participate in the project "Local Food Supply, Education and Health," which is implemented by the Ministry of Education of El Salvador, and with technical support from WFP and CONAMYPE (Commission of Micro and Small Enterprises).

The project aims to boost the local economy with the creation of women's microenterprises (mostly heads of households, poor, and with little or no education) that can compete in the manufacturing sector, as well as educate and raise awareness in a new form of school feeding in which they also participate and learn about the best practices.

WFP's Gender Innovation Fund supports programmes that seek to generate positive gender relationships, and empower women to achieve food security and nutrition for their families. This programme was also developed within the framework of national policies and involving the government, NGO's, and communities.

"My partners are trained and our business is better equipped. We used the money given to us by WFP to buy an oven, stove, iron deposits, scales, and all this has served as a basis for our business. With our growing profits we are improving more and more," said Blanca.

Blanca organized a group of five mothers from the school, she got ​​a $4,000 loan with which she started the "Dining Genesis", which serves 472 students in the school.
"The small business has helped me to grow economically... We have also learned to eat better as a family and we contribute to making sure that the students are properly nourished," she added.
 

"I am pleased with the excellent work of the microenterprise. Children eat better and are more motivated to come to school. Many have improved their nutritional status," said Magdalena de Valdez, Principal at El Carmen School in La Union.