Located in West Africa, the country of Cameroon has 64 percent of its rural population impacted by poverty according to the "United Nations World Food Programme" (WFP). School feeding programs can help lift children and their families out of the poverty trap. This interview, with Haladou Salha, director of the UN World Food Programme in Cameroon, discusses how critical school feeding is for these children and their country.

How many children are benefiting from the WFP School feeding programs within the country?

The school feeding component of the Country program targets the three northern provinces where enrollment rates are lower than 30 percent, and gender disparity is as high as 50 percent. In the 2007/2008 school year, WFP assisted a total of 51,017 pupils in the three Northern Provinces (Adamaoua, North and Extreme North). Some 7,200 girls in the last three grades of primary school at the end of each school term benefited from take home dry rations. In the upcoming academic year 2008/2009, starting in September the total number of beneficiaries will increase to 53,040 and some 7,560 girls will receive dry rations.

Discuss what effect the meals have on the children in terms of school attendance, performance and nutrition?

School meals have significantly boosted school attendance. In the Mayo Rey, and Logone and Chari divisions that used to record the lowest attendance rates, schools attendance has increased up to 72 percent. Since the targeted areas are the most food insecure in the country, thanks to the school feeding program, the nutritional status of children and families have improved. According to education authorities we met during field monitoring visits, the children's performance in WFP assisted schools is far better than in schools without WFP assistance.

On the other hand, WFP assisted schools are witnessing a rapid increase in the number of children and classrooms are sometimes crowded. However, WFP has drawn the attention of the government on this issue and all necessary measures are being taken to beef up school infrastructure and also recruitment of additional teachers.

What plans are there for making school meals available for all children?

In order to make school meals available for all children, mobilization and diversification of funding sources is very crucial. WFP is embarking on raising resources from traditional as well as non-traditional donors. WFP will undertake a continuous sensitization of the government to increase in cash and in kind contributions to the school feeding program. In the long run, WFP will be looking at the possibilities of implementing a purely homegrown school feeding program in the country.

What would be the sources of funding for any expansion of the school feeding program?

In addition to usual support from traditional donors (and we still count on their support because of the current funding shortfall), further possible funding sources for the expansion of the school feeding program could be local fund raising activities through diplomatic representations in Cameroon, national government and other institutions and private companies. The organization of funds raising events such as Walk the World would be a strategy that could be explored, together with information sharing on the implementation process.