Grant Helps 72K Schoolchildren

Food For The Poor Helps 72,000 Nicaraguan Schoolchildren

	The McGovern-Dole Food for Education grant was used to improve the lives of 72,000 school-age children, including providing hot meals in 774 schools in some of the most rural regions of Nicaragua.
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COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (Dec. 16, 2014) – Life for nearly 72,000 children in some of the most rural regions of Nicaragua has been greatly improved, thanks to a McGovern-Dole Food for Education grant from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). The grant was awarded to Food For The Poor to cover a three-year span from the fall of 2011 to the fall of 2014.

During the three-year period, more than 4,500 metric tons of food have been distributed to the most impoverished communities of the Central American country. The majority of the recipients were school-age children who benefited from the feeding programs in 774 schools, located primarily in Managua, Nueva Segovia and Madriz. The students received a morning snack and a hot meal for lunch each day. Expectant and nursing mothers also benefited from the feeding programs within their communities.

“Nicaragua is one of the poorest countries in Latin America, and the second poorest in the Western Hemisphere. This grant has allowed Food For The Poor to provide additional rice, beans, oil, and cereal to thousands of schoolchildren. For many of these students, their only meal of the day is the food they receive while at school, which is why their lunches need to be substantial and nutritious,” said Robin Mahfood, President/CEO of Food For The Poor. “The grant from the USDA has been a blessing. It also has allowed Food For The Poor to provide the participating schools with much-needed upgrades, which will serve students in those communities for many years to come.”

Health and hygiene were also key components of the grant. The installation of 100 latrines and 20 hand washing stations and sinks, along with the repair of 30 school kitchens, have reduced the nutritional deficit in schoolchildren and greatly improved sanitary conditions. School gardens and multi-disciplinary training for parents and teachers were also established, and 71 classrooms received much needed repairs, which have helped to improve the academic benefits of the students.

Food For The Poor has been working in Nicaragua since 1998, partnering with the American Nicaraguan Foundation (ANF) and the Fabretto Children’s Foundation.

Food For The Poor, named by The Chronicle of Philanthropy as the largest international relief and development organization in the nation, does much more than feed millions of the hungry poor in 17 countries of the Caribbean and Latin America. This interdenominational Christian ministry provides emergency relief assistance, clean water, medicines, educational materials, homes, support for orphans and the aged, skills training and micro-enterprise development assistance, with more than 95 percent of all donations going directly to programs that help the poor. For more information, please visit www.FoodForThePoor.org.