Above: Minister Beverley Oda during a visit to Haiti earlier this year (CIDA Photo/Roger Lemoyne)
By the Caribbean Journal staff
More than 1.1 million students in Haiti have been able to receive a hot meal every day thanks to the Canadian government, a plan that will continue through the end of 2012.
The support comes from Canada’s continued work with the United Nations World Food Programme’s School Feeding Programme in Haiti.
“Canada is proud to support the School Feeding Programme in Haiti to help prevent hunger and chronic malnutrition,” said Canadian Minister of International Cooperation Beverley Oda. “We know the WFP’s school feeding approach has a direct impact on learning capacities and academic performance, which makes this initiative all the more valuable.”
The programme, which comes with the support of the Canada International Development Agency, helps to reduce nutritional deficits among schoolchildren in Haiti, improve learning outcomes and increase attendance in primary schools.
It also promotes local agriculture by purchasing up to 25 percent of its rice requirements from local producers in Haiti.
The announcement of Canada’s continued support, in the amount of $15 million, also looks to help support national school feeding efforts managed by Haiti’s Ministry of Education.