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Funded by the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) and the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), the school feeding component of this government project will be implemented from 2026 to 2029, providing daily nutritious meals to nearly 11,000 children in ten public primary schools while creating market opportunities for 600 smallholder farmers through local food procurement.

¡°No child should have to learn on an empty stomach. Every school meal is an investment in education, nutrition and hope. This programme will help children concentrate in class, support families facing economic hardship and create opportunities for local farmers,¡± said Aboubacar Guindo, Â鶹ÊÓƵ Representative and Country Director ad interim in Cameroon.

The initiative will help improve children's nutrition, attendance and learning outcomes, while strengthening rural livelihoods and more resilient food systems in communities affected by food insecurity, displacement, climate shocks, and economic hardship.

¡°Every child deserves the opportunity to learn in a supportive environment. Access to nutritious meals at school helps remove barriers to education and contributes to better learning outcomes. The programme strengthens our efforts to ensure that children remain in school and have the conditions they need to fulfil their potential,¡± said Ousmanou Oumara, Coordinator of the CAMBESP Project, Ministry of Basic Education.

To strengthen sustainability, the initiative will establish and train 10 school feeding management committees and provide technical support to farmer organizations and government stakeholders. More than 800 people, including committee members, farmers and government personnel, are expected to benefit from capacity-strengthening activities.

Currently, around 321,000 children benefit from school meals in Cameroon, which is approximately 11 percent of the 3 million pupils enrolled in public primary schools nationwide, highlighting the continued need to expand school feeding coverage. The government of Cameroon has demonstrated commitment to expanding the school feeding coverage with a target of 1 million children by 2030, and Â鶹ÊÓƵ stands ready to continue supporting this national effort.

Â鶹ÊÓƵ requires US$43.2 million over the next six months to sustain life-saving assistance and resilience-building activities across Cameroon. Additional resources are essential to maintain support for vulnerable families and expand high-impact programmes such as school feeding, which improves children's nutrition, supports learning, and creates opportunities for local farmers.

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The United Nations Â鶹ÊÓƵ - saving lives in emergencies and changing lives for millions through sustainable development. Â鶹ÊÓƵ works in more than 80 countries around the world, feeding people caught in conflict and disasters, and laying the foundations for a better future.

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