In the African nation of Chad the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) provides aid to 150,000 people who have been displaced by fighting in the eastern part of the country. Chad is also host to refugees from the conflicts in Darfur and the Central African Republic. The effects of these internal and external conflicts alone are monumental, but Chad also struggles with natural disasters like drought.

Programs like school feeding are essential for this impoverished nation. Future peace and development in Chad depend on such vital food assistance. In this interview with Gon Myers of the World Food Programme in Chad, we will examine school feeding in Chad.

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

During the 2007-2008 school year, the WFP School Feeding Program provided daily hot meals to 120,677 primary school children in more than 650 schools in the Sahelian regions of Kanem, Guera, Batha, Biltine, Ouaddai, and Guera. These regions are the most food insecure in Chad, with a chronic malnutrition rate above 45 percent.

In 2007, the Country Program made allocations for about 95,000 primary school children for the 2007-2008 school year. The government requested that the school feeding program be extended to an additional 25,677 primary school children. The number of feeding days in the program was reduced from 160 days to 120 days in order to accommodate the government’s request and reach 120,677 children.

In the east of Chad, WFP is implementing an emergency school feeding program for some 30,000 internally displaced children who have been driven away from school as a result of inter-ethnic conflicts.

To promote education among girls, take-home family rations are provided to girls enrolled in school who maintain high attendance. The dry ration serves as incentive to encourage parents to keep their daughters in school.

The Maternal Child Health (MCH) component of the Country Program screens pupils for parasites in all targeted schools. In collaboration with UNICEF the pupils benefit from de-worming programs, HIV/AIDS prevention, and awareness education.

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

WFP meals provided at school help increase enrollment and attendance rates and reduce the gender gap in schools. Take-home rations provided to girls motivate parents to release their daughters from household responsibilities and allow them to attend school.

School feeding programs are implemented in the most food-insecure regions; WFP food provided to children at school constitutes a complementary, nutritious meal on feeding days.

The country office has learned that the meals eaten in schools have proven to increase attendance, performance, and nutrition. According to the study conducted by the Ministry of Education (August 2007), the attendance rate for girls in schools with feeding program is 49%, while only 41% for schools without feeding programs.

The indicators used to measure school performance include the success rate at secondary school. According to a survey of the CEPT exams taken in June 2006, the success rate is higher for schools with feeding programs. It is 90% for both girls and boys, and 84% for girls only.