Final: The CRS feeding program achieved its goals of feeding 10,280 children two meals a day in 61 schools for the school year 2002-2003. They reported an increase of 12% in total student enrollment, which included a 16% increase in the enrollment levels of girls alone. Teachers reported decrease in student dropout and tardiness. Take-home rations were provided to 3,069 girls in 59 schools who attended school 85% of the time.

Through awareness raising activities CRS has mobilized PTAs and canteen management committees. Parents have increased their involvement in their children’s education and have taken an active role in solving school problems such as lack of teachers and infrastructure. Additionally, the PTAs raise funds and contribute in-kind local food and cash contributions. Parents contribute by constructing storerooms and kitchen facilities, providing fuel wood, ensuring food preparation takes place, and taking over the transport of food to inaccessible schools.

CRS has improved the learning environment by assisting 21 PTAs with funds for small micro-projects ranging from classroom rehabilitation to latrine construction, furniture building and provision of school supplies. Each school community contributed ten percent of the project value in either in-cash or in-kind contribution. This same approach will be used from 2003- 2004 with other PTAs to improve their school environment.

Midterm: The Catholic Relief Services (CRS) school-feeding program in the Republic of Benin began in April 2002 with the selection of parent-teacher associations (PTA’s) as the focal point of implementing the program for 10,000 school children. Actual feeding started in June 2002. Reports from CRS-Benin’s Global Food for Education (GFE) monitors indicate wide acceptance of the program by the selected PTA’s. CRS-Benin successfully monetized the donated U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) commodities and plans to use the proceeds of approximately $548,562 to fund critical intervention programs in support of the school feeding. In addition, CRS-Benin has targeted 3,500 female students for take-home rations as an incentive to increase the school attendance of girls. The program is scheduled to continue through the 2003 school year.

Benin is a small country on the west coast of Africa, with an estimated population of 6.5 million. Its annual growth rate of 3.0% is one of the highest rates of population growth in Africa. Sustained economic policy reforms and political stability have enabled Benin to achieve an average annual economic growth rate of 4.9% in the period 1991 to 2001. Real gross domestic product (GDP) growth declined from 5.8% in 2000 to 5% in 2001 due to lower than expected agriculture output.

Despite a decade of positive per capita income growth, poverty has not been reduced significantly. Gross national product per capita in 2001 was only $380. Further progress requires comprehensive measures to slow population growth, accelerate economic growth, and assure the availability of health and education services. This will require further economic liberalization, dramatic improvements in the effectiveness of public service delivery systems, decentralization, and reduced corruption. One-third of Benin’s population lives below the poverty threshold and suffers from chronic food insecurity. This country has an extremely low human development index (HDI). The United Nations Development Program 2001 HDI ranks Benin 147 out of 162 countries.

Benin’s economy is dominated by subsistence agriculture, which accounts for approximately 70% of employment. Due to inadequate technology, traditional farming methods, and dependence on rain-fed agriculture, Benin’s domestic food supply is not capable of meeting demand. Benin has an illiterarcy rate of about 48% among adult males and 76% among female adults. Overall, about 63% of the primary school students are boys and 37% are girls.

Enrollment figures for Atacora and the adjacent regions where CRS is implementing the GFE program are much lower. Across this region, only about 30% of parents send all their children to school. Parents with only one child tend to keep that child out of school to assist with household and farm activities. Even in households with more than one child, parents will typically keep the first child out of school and send younger children instead. The level of school attendance by children is highly correlated with the education level of the parents.

The overall rate of student promotion is very low. On average, six out of 10 students are promoted to the next grade level (57% of girls compared to 64% of boys). The overall dropout rate for girls is 13% compared to 12% for boys. The average attendance rate is about 80% for the region.

Families of the students primarily engage in farming and fishing, with an average yearly income of about $175. During the long dry season, the household food security situation throughout the region becomes very tight even by Benin standards.

CRS Benin requested and received 3,350 metric tons of commodities from USDA to support its GFE program, including 2,760 tons of soybeans for monetization; 500 tons of rice for direct distribution; and 90 tons of soybean oil for direct distribution.

CRS planned to distribute 270 tons of rice and 40 tons of soybean oil as take-home rations for 3,500 girls in 60 schools. The take-home ration would serve as a reward for good attendance to girls who achieve at least an 85% attendance rate during a given quarter.

The commodities arrived in Benin in two shipments in January and March of 2002. The soybeans were monetized in March 2002. CRS-Benin generated approximately $548,561 from the monetization.

CRS defines food-assisted education as a set of interventions to support long-term educational objectives. The CRS-Benin program was designed to improve access to, quality of, and local participation in basic education for primary school-aged children. Specifically, the objectives are to:

CRS-Benin is using commodities available under GFE in two ways. The direct distribution plan called for:

In order to achieve the goal of community involvement in the education of primary school children, CRS designed a program that builds up the capacities of PTA’s and other local community groups. Specific goals for the program are as follows:

CRS monetized 2,760 tons of soybeans with the purpose of using the proceeds to fund a number of other critical interventions, including the following:

Final: CRS implements the GFE program in six districts in two northern regions of Benin. The program is in 48 schools in the Atacora region in the districts of Kobil, Materi, Kerou and Pehonko. In the Donga region, CRS has programs in 13 schools in Copargo and Djougou districts. These regions have the highest poverty rates in the country and the lowest enrollment of girls in schools. The program serves two meals per day to students in all the schools. The communities donated in-kind commodity contribution to the program as well as cash contributions. CRS has trained community members to manage the school canteen programs and has designed a weekly menu for each school.

CRS has trained 656 PTA members on canteen management, record keeping and accountability, hygiene, community in-kind contributions, and nutrition. For the training, CRS developed six-part storyboard series suitable for literate and illiterate audiences. Community contributions are in cash and in-kind. Communities are excited about the program. This excitement translated into enthusiastic support and participation by the parents in the communities.

Midterm: The focal point of the CRS program is the PTA. For this reason, CRS began implementation of the program in the Atacora region with the selection and training of 60 PTA’s in April 2002. CRS selected the participating schools using a school selection and mapping tool developed by CRS-Benin. The following criteria were used in the school selection process:

CRS negotiated and signed contracts with each PTA. Each contract specifies the roles and responsibilities of the PTA’s. The management committees within each PTA have full responsibility for operating and managing the school canteens, and for reporting on operations to CRS-Benin. The other PTA members and CRS-Benin monitor assist the canteen management committees on a regular basis.

Each PTA has a school canteen management committee, which is responsible for organizing the entire feeding program in their respective school. CRS began training the management committee members in May 2002. In addition to training the management committees, CRS also organized training for the directors of each school, which started in June 2002 in conjunction with the launch of the school feeding program in the schools. The total number of students enrolled in GFE-participating schools as of June 3, 2002, is 10,577, of which 3,098 or about 29% are girls.

Final: CRS continues to collaborate with other donors in implementing the program in Benin.

Midterm: CRS has established mechanisms at the country, regional, and headquarters levels to coordinate and collaborate with local and international organizations, host governments, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and other donors in the implementation of GFE program. CRS’ longstanding commitment to partnerships has played a key role in identifying potential partners for this initiative. CRS coordinates activities with World Education, International Foundation for Education and Self-Help, and Medical Care Development International in strengthening the education activities in Benin.

The collaboration is in the form of suggestions, such as the idea from the International Foundation for Education and Self-Help to extend equity actions beyond girls and boys to include ethnically marginal groups in the region. Other collaborative efforts include monthly meeting between CRS and other international organizations and donor communities to track funding educational programs. World Education provides CRS with a complementary PTA capacity building training program. Medical Care Development International provides health education training activities to PTA’s as a complement to the CRS GFE program.

CRS also collaborates with Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere (CARE) International. CARE is implementing a school promotion program for girls in Borgou region, adjacent to the region where CRS operates. CARE is in the process of developing International Education Center (IEC) material for this program, and CRS has indicated its willingness to incorporate the same material into the CRS GFE program.

Final: The Government of Benin implements a school lunch program in other regions of Benin. CRS held workshops with the Ministry of Education representatives and hosted community campaigns to raise awareness of the importance of girl’s education, accuracy in data collection and monitoring and evaluation. This collaboration with the Ministry of Education and further technical assistance from CRS is furthering efforts toward sustainability of the school lunch program in Benin.

CRS continues to train PTAs and community groups in the necessary skills to manage a school feeding program. Parents now understand that they have a role to plan in their children’s education and schools. They are taking an active role in solving schools problems such as the lack of teachers, teacher absenteeism and the lack of infrastructure. They are willing to work in their communities to bring more children to school and to ensure that they stay in school as well as contribute in-kind and with cash.

Midterm: CRS designed the GFE program in Benin to incorporate community involvement to help ensure sustainability and to work toward economically self-sufficient and stable communities. Through its many years of experience working with school communities, CRS has developed a sustainability strategy that is based on active local interest and participation in basic education. CRS experience has shown that education activities have the best chance of being successful and their impacts sustained if parents and other community members are actively involved through such mechanisms as PTA’s and village education committees. CRS’ strategy in its education activities, therefore, is to encourage formation of such organizations when they do not already exist and to strengthen them when they do.

CRS also works to facilitate linkages among the village education committees, local organizations, and regional government education offices so that eventually parent/community groups and federations can advocate successfully for the education needs of their communities. Such collaboration among private organizations and local officials in northern Benin bodes well for the sustainability of school lunch program in Benin.

Final: See evaluation methodology in Appendix 1

Midterm: CRS-Benin has developed a comprehensive monitoring and evaluation system to measure the impact of the GFE program in Benin. CRS has hired four full-time GFE monitors based in Atacora region who will undertake regular monitoring and data collection. The monitoring and evaluation department assists in developing an effective reporting system for the canteen management committees, as well as for the CRS controllers. This information is entered into a management information system at CRS-Benin headquarters.

Because many impact indicators will be measured against the initial baseline study, it is feasible that some changes may be made after the start of the project to more appropriately reflect real needs and practicalities. The indicators are currently based on available statistics, staff observations, and lessons learned from other regions that have similar socio-economic indicators. The performance indicators are listed below:

In 2002, USDA has also partnered with Allies in Health and Development (AIHD) to monitor the GFE program. Together, AIHD and USDA have developed factors from which a random sample of 20 schools has been selected to participate in the monitoring and evaluation program. The AIHD monitor will collect attendance data for the months June, July, and September 2002.

Final: CRS reports that the student enrolment rate has increased by 12% this school year 2002-2003. Enrolment levels of girls have increased by 16%. According to teachers and school administrators, many students who dropped out earlier in the year have re-enrolled in school because of the feeding program (canteen).

The program has made a major impact on the education of one the nomadic and poorest ethnic groups in Benin. There is a dramatic increase in enrollment of number of Puhls children attending school as indicated by CRS internal data and face to face interview.

Teachers reported decrease in student drop out and tardiness. The canteen has also reduced afternoon absenteeism of children who live far from the school and leave at lunchtime to go home for the rest of the day. Attendance also has improved. About 92% of girls received take-home rations because of their regular attendance (more than 85% attendance during the month). Teachers/ absenteeism has been reduced.

Midterm: The targeted region’s schools have an enrollment ratio of 67% boys and 33% girls in the primary schools. Actual enrollment data from the selected schools is not yet available, and data is being collected.

CRS plans to provide take-home rations to girls who attend school at least 85% of the days each month. CRS anticipates that about 3,500 girl students will receive monthly take-home rations beginning in September 2002.

Teachers reported that students increased their attentiveness and participation in classroom activities, as well as overall improvement in their performance. Tardiness and drowsiness in class has decreased.

According to parents and teachers, students look healthier. Students are taking responsibilities in canteen operations and are developing a sense of solidarity by helping each other during meal service. Gender equity is being promoted through canteen operation through various ways; for example, boys are now doing dishes and bringing water, which was considered to be the tasks of girls.

CRS has exceeded the goal of the take home rations component of the program. The take-home rations for girls reached approximately 92%% of the enrolled girls who attend 97% of the time 12% higher than the targeted goal of 85% attendance set as the original goal of the program.

The enrollment of girls presents a cultural problem for some districts. Uncles are said to have veto powers over the decision of fathers to send their daughters to school, making the decision to educate girls a major societal issue.

Take-home rations distribution is coupled with an awareness-raising campaign, targeting parents, teachers and other community members. CRS organized an official ceremony during which the Minister of the Education and the acting US Ambassador delivered messages stressing the importance of girls education. Role models, local radio broadcasts, local theater and music groups were also used to heighten the communities; awareness about the importance of girls; education. A total of 11,750 people were reached during the campaign.

Final:
Increased Community Involvement. 8,700 parents and community members have become more involved in the school community through CRS’s training of the PTAs and canteen management committees in management skills and awareness-raising. In addition to constructing storeroom and kitchen facilities, parents are providing fuel wood, ensuring food preparation (either by paying for cooks or by assuming the cooking responsibilities through voluntary labour), as well as, taking over food transport from the nearest road when schools are not accessible. There is more interaction between schools and communities.

Canteen management committees and PTAs raise funds and make additional local food contributions for canteen operation. For the period for October 2002 through March 2003 the community contributed 51,733 kg of additional commodities (cereal, yams, cassava, etc) and have made cash contributions of approximately $8,622.

CRS in collaboration with a local NGO started in February 2003 a pilot literacy program in 26 communities to improve committee members as well as PTAs skills in reading, writing, basic mathematics and record keeping in local languages. A total of 422 men and 150 women voluntarily registered and are currently participating in the program.

Problem Solving Skills. Parents now understand that they have a role to plan in their children’s education and schools. They are taking an active role in solving schools problems such as the lack of teachers, teacher absenteeism and the lack of infrastructure. They are willing to work in their communities to bring more children to school and to ensure that they stay in school.

The Dojoleni community organized themselves to demand the replacement of the school director who was constantly absent.

The Pingou community built two classrooms in order to deal with the increased student enrolment.

Improved Physical Learning Environment. Using Participatory Learning and Action (PLA) tools, CRS assisted 21 PTAs in determining their priorities for improving the learning environment of the school. Priorities range from classroom rehabilitation to latrine constructions, as well as, improved classroom furniture and supplies. CRS will help PTAs to address these priorities by funding small micro-projects. Each school community is expected to contribute ten percent of the project value in either in-cash or in-kind contributions. These projects were completed in September 2003.

During focus group discussions, school directors identified two major strengths of the GFE program in their schools as:

Local Economy Stimulated. The program has stimulated the local economy and created local jobs. CRS has entered into a number of local contracts with transportation, security and storage companies for commodities distribution and storage. In addition, CRS has made purchases of beans and iodized salt from small local companies.

Midterm: In its request for commodities, CRS chose commodities for monetization that would have an impact on the economy of Benin. Benin does not produce soybeans and the country has one oilseed processing plant, which processes cottonseed. CRS convinced the processor, Fludor Oilseed, to process soybeans during the lull when cottonseed, the main raw material, is in short supply. As a result, the CRS GFE program saved the jobs of 150 people who would otherwise have been laid off temporarily from the plant for lack of raw materials.

Unanticipated Outcomes:

CRS continues to engage in advocacy on the severity of teachers’ strikes and the subsequent repercussions. The lack of teachers in schools is a serious concern for everyone. Some communities contribute funds to hire "community teachers," however the quality of these teachers varies greatly. Benin has had prolonged teacher strikes since 2001. The focus of the strikes has been the cost of living adjustment s for teachers’ salaries. The current salary level equals Government of Benin (GOB) targets set for the late 1990s. The fact that some communities contribute funds to hire a community teacher indicates parental commitment to education. However, when communities pay for their own teachers, they have limited resources to contribute to operating the school canteens.

Midterm: CRS did not anticipate:

The following are lessons learned to date from GFE implementation in Benin:

Final: CRS designed a weekly menu system for each school. This enabled the children to have variety of menu items. The contributions by the parents of local foods, cassava, yams and cereal helped to increase variety as well as nutrition.

Midterm: One of CRS’ best practices is the use of the social marketing tool to sensitize parents in the education of their children. CRS achieved this through extensive training for members of the PTA, organizing parents’ day at each school, providing training seminars for teachers and organizing distribution days for take-home rations. For example, on the distribution days for the dry rations each trimester, CRS uses visual skits to deliver educational messages and to heighten awareness of the importance of education for girls.

CRS’ focus on parent-teacher activities also helps to sustain the program long after donor organizations leave the scene. As indicated earlier, Benin is one of the few developing countries to design and implement a school lunch program from its own meager budget. The Ministry of Education plans to implement the program in the entire country by 2010.

Final: The following statements from various stakeholder illustrate program impacts:

Parents form Pentinga community: "Because the school is 6 km from our home I give my two bicycles to my children so they can come back home for lunch. Now that they stay at school for lunch, I can use the bicycles for my own business."

"Since the canteen started, my children look healthier. They have now energy to play with their peers and to do their homework when they come back from school. I am very happy with the program."

A parent from Bokossi community: "I hardly got my children to go to school before. Now my children want to go to school even when they are sick."

Bokossi School Director: "Without the canteen we wouldn’t have had the third grade this school year. A lot of second grade students dropped out last year, and because of this program they came back to school."

Gnemasson School Director: "Last school year three nine-year –old girls were taken from the school by their parents. The girls came back to school after Christmas holiday without authorization of their parents. They asked me to convince their parents to let them stay in the school. At the beginning of the school year October 2002-2003, there were 260 students enrolled. In November when the canteen started this number increased to 305, most of the students who dropped out the previous year came back to re-enroll."

Midterm: Madame Kouton is about 45 years old (she does not know her actual age) and the parent of four girls and two boys. The oldest girl is 16 and already married, awaiting her first child. Madame Kouton is a member of the PTA in Pikire in the Kerou district in Atacora region. She joined the PTA after she was made aware of the CRS GFE program in the region. She enrolled her remaining kids in school because she wants them to have an education. She and her husband produce yams, cassava and other food staples. Although her family income is only about $100 a year, she contributes food from her farm to the CRS GFE program, as required. She indicated that she has learned a lot from just being part of the PTA. She says she is willing to do more to guarantee an education for her children. She welcomes the help from the GFE program in feeding her two boys and two girls enrolled in school, and she believes her sacrifice for her children will pay off in the future when they are all "educated."

Last modified: Monday, April 14, 2008 06:13:23 PM