On the occasion of World Food Day, Dubai Cares, the UAE-based philanthropic organization working to improve children’s access to quality primary education in developing countries, has highlighted the significance of school-feeding programs in increasing enrolment and continuation in primary schools in the developing world. Dubai Cares has rolled out School Feeding Programs in developing countries around the world, as part of its strategy to eliminate the underlying obstacles that prevent children from going to school and learning.
Tariq Al Gurg, Chief Executive Officer, Dubai Cares said: “Health and nutrition have a significant impact on the cognitive abilities of a child and through our Homegrown School Feeding Programs, we are trying to provide children with an optimal learning environment. We provide basic infrastructure and resources such as schools and books; but at the same time, we work towards tackling issues such as malnutrition and cultural bias. Through integrated school health and nutrition programs in Ghana, Bangladesh and Ethiopia, we have seen school attendance rise with healthier children more invested in attending school and parents more willing to send their children to a school that provides them with nutritious and regular meals.”
“Our Homegrown School Feeding programs in countries like Ghana and Ethiopia aim to be self-sustaining and support the local economy with stable commercial activity. The commodities required for producing the nutritious meals for school children are procured by local farmers and this creates a self-sustaining cycle in which students receive the nutrition they need, and household incomes increase.”