Project Description:

The project will promote and assists basic education in the most vulnerable chiefdoms in the 12 districts in Sierra Leone, as well as slums and informal settlements in the Western Area. WFP aims to integrate school feeding into a social safety net to be increasingly owned by the Government. A total of 400,000 primary school children will benefit with the provision of on-site mid-day meals every school day. This is 150,000 pupils more than the previous year. In addressing, gender disparity 1,500 girls in grades 4-6 will benefit from take-home rations. The incentives to girls will be piloted in two chiefdoms in Moyamba District with very high gender disparity in schools.

Development Goal and Key Outcomes: Intended Outcomes:

Specific targets to measure progress against our objective include:

 1) increasing enrolment [target=6% annually]

 2) increased retention [target=10% annually]  

 3) reduce gender disparity among primary school children [target=1:1].

In addition, by reducing short-term hunger in children who more often than not come to school without having had breakfast, the school meal improves the children’s attention span and thereby their ability to learn.

Deliverables:

8.1.1 400,000 primary school children fed with a daily hot meal

8.1.2 9,622 metric tons of food commodities delivered to 1,482 schools

8.1.3 Training and sensitization sessions held for 1,482 School Management Committees

in WFP supported schools.

8.1.4 Capacity Assessment and Development Strategy formulated in conjunction with

MEYS, District Councils, and other relevant stakeholders.

8.1.5 School Feeding enshrined in National Education and Social Protection policies.

8.1.6 School Feeding Baseline conducted