22 October 2024
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) received a major boost for its school meals programs thanks to a $110 million award from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
This funding will support children in four countries: Ethiopia, Bangladesh, Laos, and Rwanda.
Nearly half a million children across over 1,600 schools will benefit from this initiative. The program aims to improve education, nutrition, and health, with a special focus on ensuring girls have access to these resources.
This five-year collaboration between the WFP, national and local governments, and community organizations will not only provide meals but also invest in local agriculture and $11 million of the funding will be dedicated to sourcing food from within these regions, supplementing U.S.-grown ingredients used in the school meals.