Faces of Recovery: The only meal they will eat today

Many families in rural areas of South-West Haiti were doubly impacted by the 14 August earthquake, not just losing their house but in some cases the ability to grow food and feed themselves. Principal Franesie Sylvestre says that’s why school feeding programmes supported by the World Food Programme are so important.

“Today at the Ecole Nationale des Filles de Dame Marie, we are feeding 307 schoolchildren between the ages of six and 12. They’re eating black beans and wheat with some spring onions and spices. For many of these children, this is the only meal they will eat today.

Dame Marie town was affected by the earthquake, and I can show you some cracks in our school, but all the buildings remain standing. The big impact has been on the parents of these children many of whom lost their farms or missed the planting season due to the earthquake. They can no longer cultivate food, so cannot feed their children properly. That’s why this school feeding programme is so important because it will give the children energy to carry on studying and provide support to their parents. In the long run, that is good for our community.”