What plans are there for making school meals available for all children?
The school feeding program targets and provides meals for the children most vulnerable to hunger and malnutrition. Currently, there are no plans to expand the program due to logistics and funding.
What would be the sources of funding for any expansion of the school feeding program?
The Liberian government has shown definite interest and political will in seeing an expansion in the school feeding program, but it simply lacks the resources to contribute more funding. In the present circumstances, funding for any expansion of school feeding will have to come from external donors.
What has been the effect of high food prices in this funding effort?
WFP Liberia has seen increased donor support in the face of high food prices. This has allowed the expansion of school feeding to include an additional 150,000 children in Monrovia from households most affected by high food prices. It remains to be seen whether this funding trend will continue beyond the current school year.
How can someone help the school feeding program?
Those who are interested in supporting the program can help by mobilizing additional funding for the program, including for logistics resources such as trucks. They can also support community and government capacity in the implementation and management of the school feeding program.
Anything else you'd like to add about why you think school feeding is important for people to support?
School feeding is an effective way of both overcoming short-term child hunger and strengthening the incentive for long-term school enrollment and attendance. This is especially the case in the situation in Liberia, where high levels of food insecurity co-exist with high rates of illiteracy. Therefore, school feeding is crucial in helping to overcome barriers to development in Liberia.
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