School meals boost enrollment and farmers in Central African Republic
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The World Food Programme provides meals to over 250,000 children in 335 schools across the Central African Republic, aiming to improve education and address food insecurity.
The program helps students concentrate in class by providing daily nutrition in a country where many children lack sufficient food at home. School leaders, like Ghislain Modeste Ngame in Gbako-Malekpa, report increased enrollment as a result, with his school growing from 475 to 857 students after the program began.
The initiative also supports local farmers in the Central African Republic by purchasing their produce for the school meals. The World Food Programme assists farmers in Paoua with agriculture and storage, creating a market for their goods. Purchases from these small-scale producers have risen by over 500 percent in the last five years because of the program, including supplies for school feeding.
Despite these gains, nearly two million people in the Central African Republic still struggle with food insecurity due to displacement, climate change, and regional instability. Carl Skau, acting executive director of the WFP, urged the international community to increase support for peace and development in the country, as authorities work to sustain and expand the school meal program and strengthen local food systems.
