Celebrating the fourth Africa Day of School Feeding with renewed commitment
The UN World Food Programme (WFP) compliments/recognises the rising political will and commitment to school feeding across the continent. African nations continue to prioritise school feeding through policy and legislation, to improve retention, attendance and the performance of children in school as well as creating economic growth.
What: 4th Africa Day of School Feeding Celebrations
When: 27 February -1 March 2019
Where: Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire
Who:
- African Union Ministers of Education
- The Prime Minister of Côte d’Ivoire and Prime Minister of São Tome e Principé
- Senior Government Officials
- African Union Commissioner and Partners
- WFP Directors
“In recent years, we have witnessed school feeding shifting from social protection programmes to a core feature of many countries’ strategies to ensure food and nutrition security for all,” said Daniel Balaban, director of the WFP Centre of Excellence against Hunger in Brazil. “School feeding has become a key intervention for countries to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal 2, and the African Union has been a great advocate for the adoption of home-grown school feeding as a continental strategy to improve nutrition, increase smallholder farming and eliminate hunger”.
“School feeding programmes are changing lives in Africa – millions of people, especially girls, have regular access to education and nutritious meals, thanks to national governments whose commitment is supported by the African Union,” said Carmen Burbano, WFP Director of School Feeding. “The benefits of this investment extend beyond the schools to entire communities - smallholder farmers are finding new markets for their produce, which boosts economies and creates jobs – and governments will reap the benefits in human capital”.
Photos are available on request or here:
? Photo selection African School Meals Day: https://spaces.hightail.com/receive/VpqYnJT6y3
Additional resources:
- Factsheets and Infographics
- Evidence of the Impact of School Feeding Programmes
- Study - Homegrown School Feeding Resource Framework
# # #
The African Day for School Feeding was instituted by the Assembly of Heads of State and Government during the 26th African Union Summit in January 2016 in recognition of the immense value of Home-Grown School Feeding.
The United Nations World Food Programme - saving lives in emergencies and changing lives for millions through sustainable development. WFP works in more than 80 countries around the world, feeding people caught in conflict and disasters, and laying the foundations for a better future.
Follow us on Twitter @wfp_media