MADAGASCAR: Funding gap threatens school lunches

AMBOVOMBE, 28 December 2012 (IRIN) - The provision of school lunches to 215,000 children in 1,200 primary schools in southern Madagascar could be suspended by the end of January 2013 if the World Food Programme (WFP) fails to make up a funding shortfall of US$4.84 million. The funds are needed to cover the cost of running the feeding scheme from December 2012 to May 2013 [...] “The school lunches take pressure off the households, helping them to build up stock during the harvest season, so that the food lasts longer,” WFP’s Alvarez told IRIN. “But the impact is much broader than just feeding the children. We started this programme in 2005 after we noticed that the percentage of children who finished school in this region was very low. The lunches are a development strategy for us; the students stay in school longer, learn better, and the community has to organize itself to prepare the lunches. They start to see the school differently; it becomes an important part of the village.”

Global Children's Survey Finds What Children Want Is An Education

Give them a dollar or make them president and what would they do? Most children across the world say their first order of business would be to improve education by building schools, providing school supplies and increasing access to education for all children. Their next priority would be providing food and water. Almost half said they would spend their dollar on food or water, ahead of clothes, toys and sports.

These findings are taken from the ChildFund Alliance global children's survey, Small Voices, Big Dreams*, released this week in recognition of Universal Children's Day (20 November). The survey polled 3,000 children aged 10 to 12 from 30 developing countries across the world - from Afghanistan to Zambia - as well as 300 children from New Zealand, Australia and the United States.