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Explore the transition period, steps leading to the transition, observations from year 1, and impacts of the School Feeding Program in the Republic of Congo. The program aims to improve enrollment, attendance, and nutrition among students.
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School Feeding in Republic of Congo: More than Just Rice and Beans ROSALIE KAMA-NIAMAYOUA Minister of Education, Republic of Congo Introduction by: RACHEL ONUSKA Assistant Country Director, IPHD CONGO
Presentation Overview • Transition Period • SUMMARY of Transition Plan • STEPS leading to • OBSERVATIONS from YR1 • IMPACTS of SLP in Congo • Conclusion
School Feeding in Congo: LOCATION SLP start October 2012 6,150 students SLP started Nov 2012 30,000 students SLP 2002 to 2011 As of May 1 2012, 105,000 students
School Feeding Congo: TRANSITION TIMELINE • November 2008 – 6 member SLP Transition Team formed and began meetings. • Local food procurement • SLPeligibility for RoC funding • Request USDA to continue SLP for another 3 years while groundwork get put in place. • September 2010 – Congolese government approved a School Feeding Sustainability Plan. • September 2010- Transition Plan developed for IPHD’s current McGovern-Dole Program.
School Feeding Congo: STEPS leading to the Transition Period National Level School Level
The STEPs: School Level Community Involvement • Local Contribution • PTAs – over 450 trained
The STEPs: School Level More than Just Rice and Beans
The STEPs: School Level Consistent Monitoring • Satellite office in almost every region • Monthly school visits
The STEPs: National Level Government Involvement Clear Expectations National Parent Teacher Associations Data Sharing
School Feeding Congo: OBSERVATIONS FROM YR1 • Feeding 30,000 students locally • Locally-purchased imported commodities • Consistent quantity and quality of commodities available • High cost of beans • $102-$118 per 100lbs. ($2,234-$2,600 per MT)
School Feeding Congo: Experiences from YEAR 1 Do you think we could ever have something else besides rice and beans? • Monotonous Menu
School Feeding Congo: Putting “LOCAL” into Local Food Purchases • IPHD partnership with local farm cooperative and Ministry of Agriculture • GOAL for 2013/2014: • Local food purchases will be produced in Congo • School Lunch Menu will be diversified
IMPACTS of School Feeding in Congo Why is Republic of Congo interested in School Feeding? • Enrollment • Attendance • Minority Groups • Student Malaria • Post-Conflict Recovery • Government/NGO Partnerships
SLP Impact: ENROLLMENT SLP start next school year • 23.8% increase in enrollment in first four years of SLP • 9.7% increase in enrollment in first year First Year with SLP • 50% decrease in dropouts compared to schools without a SLP SLP 2002 to 2011
SLP Impact: ATTENDANCE RATES SLP start next school year • 12.9% increase in attendance rates from start of SLP until last school year • 1.4% increase in attendance rates in first year First Year with SLP SLP 2002 to 2011
SLP Impact: MINORITY GROUPS • 35 Babongo (Pygmy) students enrolled before SLP • 737 enrolled after 4 years of SLP SANGHA • Hoping to see similar impacts in Sangha LEKOUMOU
SLP Impact: DECREASED STUDENT MALARIA 2006 Study • 1000 randomly selected schools • 500 SLP schools • 500 non-SLP schools • Each southern region represented • Cause of absenteeism tracked for the 2006/2007 school year • 71% of students in SLP schools owned a mosquito net • 31% of students in non-SLP schools a owned mosquito net • SLP schools had a 66% reduction in absenteeism due to malaria
SLP Impact: POST-CONFLICT RECOVERY • 2002 SLP was first major injection of resources into primary education system since the 1999 civil war. • As small conflicts ebbed and flowed after the civil war, the school lunch program was a consistent social safety net for the Southern Regions.
SLP Impact: GOVERNMENT PARTNERSHIP CONGO TRANSPORT 2001 to 2006 Railway only shipping option BRAZZAVILLE Road impassable by heavy trucks POINTE NOIRE
SLP Impact: GOVERNMENT/IPHD PARTNERSHIP • Ministry of Education • Participating School selection, in the field SLP evaluations, development of malaria prevention manuals, layed framework for SLP transition within government • Ministry of Foreign Affaires • IPHD given diplomatic status March 2007 • Ministry of Finance • Dramatic improvement in tax exemption and timeliness of release of goods from the port • Ministry of Agriculture • Partnership for Local Food Production • Four out of nine IPHD warehouses and 2 out of 8 IPHD offices were provided by various ministries of the government.