People fleeing conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq have sought refuge in neighboring Iran. The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) reports that Iran “currently hosts some 950,000 refugees, the majority of them Afghans.” WFP is helping to provide aid to these refugees, including school feeding programs with take-home rations. Negar Gerami of the World Food Programme recently took time to discuss school feeding for children. School feeding can make a powerful difference in their struggle to overcome the hardship of being a refugee.
How many children are benefiting from the WFP school feeding programs within the country?
The WFP school feeding program in Iran benefits refugee girls from Iraq and Afghanistan. Currently, over 2,200 Afghan and Iraqi girls in primary school are benefiting from the program. As an incentive for their families to send them to school, they receive take-home rations of vegetable oil to share with their families.
Discuss what effect the program has on the children in terms of school attendance, performance, and nutrition.
The take-home rations have been very successful in providing an incentive for families to send their daughters to school. The girls and their female teachers are given a tin of vegetable oil each month to encourage them to attend school regularly. As a result of this program, school enrollment for girls has increased dramatically over the last few years. The success of this program lies in its impact on the refugee household's budget and food consumption. Bringing home oil helps girls contribute to the household. It has helped change the mindset of conservative Afghan families who did not send their girls to school prior to this program. The sense of empowerment and self-value this gives to the girls has had a very positive impact.
What plans are there for making take-home rations available for all girls in school?
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