World Food Programme Fighting Hunger Worldwide

During her visit to Haiti in June 2012, WFP Executive Director Ertharin Cousin visited schools where children receive nutritious food as part of school meals programmes that WFP runs jointly with the government.

Children learn much better if they receive food at school. It helps them concentrate. In poor districts like Carrefour in the capital Port-au-Prince, meals are also an incentive for poor parents to send their children to school.

The St. Gerard School is in the Carrefour Feuille area of Port-au-Prince. It was destroyed in the 2010 earthquake, but rebuilt quickly by UNICEF. Over 1,000 students come every day for classes (and to receive WFP’s daily school meals).

Milk is part of WFP-supported school meals programmes in several parts of Haiti. WFP works with the Haitian government and Veterimed, a local NGO, to use more locally produced milk, as part of a strategy of supporting local food production.

This dairy is in the village of Croix des Bouquets, in the outskirts of Port au Prince. It is called Bon Repos and is an independent, self-run enterprise, which gives specialised skills and jobs to 17 employees.

The NGO Veterimed has set up a commercial brand ‘Let Agogo’ to distribute milk from a network of dairies, which in turn work with a network of small farmers. Let Agogo means ‘ Milk in abundance’.

Students at the Ecole National de Sibert in Port-au-Prince have just received their daily bottle of locally produced milk. WFP Executive Director Ertharin Cousin listens as a teacher introduces her to the class.