Faces of Recovery: Nourishing resilience by feeding schoolchildren

Communities in rural earthquake-affected areas are being supported by the World Food Programme’s (WFP) school feeding initiative. WFP’s Maguelita Varin says it helps families on the road to recovery.

“School feeding programmes in the earthquake zone are helping communities to recover more quickly. Many children are not getting enough to eat at home, so providing food at school encourages them to attend classes and gives them more energy to study.

We’re working alongside UNICEF which has provided schoolbooks and desks as well as handwashing facilities. We have to take a holistic approach because if children don’t wash their hands and then eat they can get sick. And if they don’t have any books they’re not able to study even if they have eaten well. 

We have school feeding programmes which serve food donated from overseas but also programmes which buy food locally from farmers. This helps to sustain the local economy and ultimately will help communities to recover and build their resilience.”