The benefits and challenges of Global School Feeding Programs

June 24, 2004

Good Afternoon. My name is Robert Zachritz and I am a Senior Policy Advisor for World Vision. World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organization operating in nearly 100 countries with a total budget of $1.3 billion in 2003.

I want to thank the Congressional Human Rights Caucus for holding this Members Briefing on The Benefits and Challenges of Global School Feeding Programs and thank Representatives James McGovern and Max Burns for co-chairing the briefing today.

Global School Feeding programs make a difference in children’s lives. They provide an incentive for boys and girls to attend school on a regular basis. Global feeding programs are a simple idea with great power. All children should receive at least one meal a day and receive a basic education. This simple idea can capture people’s moral imagination and compel them to respond.

World Vision appreciates Congress’ commitment to these humanitarian food programs and strongly supports increased funding for both P.L. 480 “Food for Peace” programs and the McGovern-Dole International Food for Education program.

On September 30, 2003, World Vision was granted a $9 million dollar grant by USDA out of FY 2003 funds to run a “Food for Education” program in Afghanistan throughout 2004. The program is run within the Badghis and Ghor Provinces and the Jarwand District in coordination with Afghanistan’s Ministry of Education.

Here is a brief summary of the goals of the program:

Increase school attendance by providing monthly take home food packages linked to student attendance. Projections were to increase school attendance from 23,000 to 37,000 students. In actuality, school attendance increased to 45,000 students, which is a doubling of the children in school. Build 9 new schools for girl’s education. (4 of these schools are funded with money from USDA and 5 with private resources raised by World Vision.) Assist 115 primary schools with tables, chairs, school supplies, and tools/seeds for a school garden. Provide training to 675 teachers. Supplement teachers’ incomes with a monthly food basket valued at $20 per month. (Afghanistan teachers are paid about $31 per month by the Ministry of Education so this is a big help to them.)

As you can see, there are many benefits to this “Food for Education” program including the promotion of girl’s education.

However, there are challenges as well. The biggest challenge in Afghanistan is the issue of security.

About three weeks ago, five individuals working with the humanitarian group MSF or Doctors without Borders were killed. Threatening fliers were found which were distributed by the Taliban within the Badghis and Ghor Provinces. These fliers offered $10,000 in cash to anyone who killed an expatriate and $5,000 in cash to anyone who killed an Afghanistan national working with an international NGO. Needless to say, this is a major concern.

All international NGOs activities within these two Provinces have been “paused” for the time being until the security improves. However, World Vision’s school feeding program in the Jarwand District still continues including the construction of 3 new girls schools there. It is our hope that this school feeding program in both the Badghis and Ghor Provinces will resume very soon.

In conclusion, Global Feeding programs provide hope and education for children. This is the case for this school feeding program in Afghanistan which caused school attendance to double with the incentive of food. These programs work and are run well by both the NGOs and World Food Program who implement them.

As for funding levels, it is critical that Congress provide funding at consistent levels from year to year to allow for multi-year programming. The House FY 2005 Agriculture Appropriations bill cuts P.L. 480, Title II by $5 million from the FY 2004 enacted level and the President’s request. This will hurt in a year when commodity and transportation costs have risen sharply.

Also, the McGovern-Dole International Food for Education Program was provided $75 million for FY 2005, which is the President’s request. While this is more than last year, it is still well below the $100 million authorized in the farm bill and funded in FY 2003. It is also below the $300 million pilot program started in June 2000.

Thank you again to the Human Rights Caucus for holding this hearing. I would be happy to answer any questions you may have.