This initiative supports the World Food Programme’s (WFP) Honduras Country Program (CP) (2008-2011), addressing school feeding and maternal and child health. This support is for the the 2010-2011 fiscal year and contributes to improving the levels of nutrition and health of pre-school and school age children, as well as addressing the food security and health needs of children under five years of age, as well as pregnant and lactating women. The School Feeding component supports access to education by providing a daily meal to boys and girls attending pre-schools and schools in southwestern Honduras. Activities are intended to stimulate an increase in school attendance in preschools and schools in the most vulnerable areas of the country. The Reduction of Child and Maternal Malnutrition component (REDI) aims to assist vulnerable groups, such as children under five years of age, as well as pregnant and lactating women, by addressing their special nutritional and health needs. Through micronutrient supplementation and distribution of monthly household food aid rations, the project helps to reduce malnutrition and anemia in vulnerable groups.
Results achieved as of the end of the project include: 319,712 pre-school and primary school boys and girls received a mid-morning school meal, in over 2,000 pre-schools and primary schools supported by the World Food Programme. The project also contributed to the local economy, as 60% of the beans and maize used to prepare school meals were purchased from local farmers; 1,000 teachers were trained in the administration of de-worming treatment; over 2,000 Parent-Teacher Association members were trained in school feeding management and implementation. Overall, this has contributed to increasing access to nutritious food and maintaining the primary school attendance rate for girls and boys at 98%. In addition, 209,765 beneficiaries (children under 5, pregnant and lactating women, anti-retroviral therapy and tuberculosis patients) received nutritional support through monthly food rations and micronutrients, to treat moderate to severe chronic malnutrition. The nutritional support has increased access to nutritious food and important micronutrients for vulnerable groups in eight of the most food insecure municipalities in south and south-western Honduras.
