World Food Programme (WFP) plans to distribute cooked meals to at least 14,000 schoolchildren in Bamna upazila of Barguna.
The initiative builds on the ongoing collaboration between WFP and the government of Bangladesh, who together currently supply micronutrient-enriched biscuits to almost 2.7m pre-primary and primary school children across the country.
At an inauguration ceremony Md Afsarul Ameen, minister of primary and mass education said: “The government is pleased to launch this initiative with WFP. We hope it will become a model, as we are gradually expanding our school feeding programme.”
Instead of biscuits, the children will receive a freshly prepared healthy ‘khichuri’ every day during their lunch break.
This food distribution aims to encourage children to attend school as well as supporting poor parents to keep their children enrolled.
However, hundreds of women will also be benefited through vending vegetables for the meals as well serving as cooks.
Among others, Shyamal Kanti Ghosh, director general at the Directorate of Primary Education, Laura Savage, education specialist of Australian government Overseas Aid Program, Christa Rader, representative of WFP were present at the program.
Last year, WFP’s food assistance programme reached more than 97m people in 80 countries.
