Final: El Salvador is in the process of phasing out WFP assistance and will eventually assume full responsibility for managing its own school feeding operations. The phase-out schedule projected that the government would take over 80% of the program by 2002 while WFP would continue to assist 20% of the program’s beneficiaries. The devastation caused by Hurricane Mitch and the two ensuing earthquakes in 2001 disrupted the phase out plan and created a new and compelling emergency situation within the country.

While the Government assumed a greater role in the management of the school-feeding program, it was unable to meet non-emergency commitment levels leaving 123,500 chronically undernourished and food-insecure children at risk. WFP was able to assist these food-insecure children in addition to the 66,500 students it had planned to serve with 9,040 metric tons of corn, rice and soybean oil provided by USDA.

At present, the Government of El Salvador and WFP are working together to revise the phase out plan. The amended plan will reflect the commitment to increase the national budget for school feeding programs and the development of a food bank. In addition, El Salvador has successfully piloted and is working to expand school gardens that will offer variety in the school feeding menu, help improve local food security and provide needed income for unfunded school activities. WFP and the Government are also partnering with the private sector in this area. They are working to encourage job creation, effective program advocacy and future business opportunities in order to promote program sustainability beyond external donor assistance.

Midterm: The Government of El Salvador is fully committed to implementing a national school-feeding program and current WFP activities complement the government’s effort to achieve an independent national operation. Since the school-feeding program started, enrollment levels continue to increase as do the number of students remaining in school to enter higher-grade levels.

Final: A sudden drop in coffee prices during the year had a devastating effect on many Salvadoran families. The number of chronically malnourished children increased as did the number of deaths of children under five. Food provided to primary school and pre-school students made an important difference, particularly helping to reduce the health impacts of the economic downturn.

Midterm: The process for pacification started in 1992 when the internal conflict in El Salvador finally ended. Since then, there have been increasing demands for government attention and resources. Areas of the country that were previously inaccessible now demand basic services such as health and education. These areas have not been well funded and the public sector is hard-pressed to provide them in the short term. Years of conflict and economic crisis have resulted in severe impoverishment of the population. During the 1980’s, real per capita income decreased by an estimated 20 %. By 1988, two-thirds of the population (3.5 million people) was living in poverty, including 1.5 million facing extreme poverty without access to a minimum diet.

Malnutrition and related conditions continue to afflict a considerable number of children in El Salvador. Recent nutritional surveys showed that about 50% of children under age five had some nutritional deficiency. Of these, 15.2% or 133,000 children suffered moderate to severe malnutrition. The worst deficiencies were found among children 6-36 months of age.

The primary education sector shows low enrollment rates and high levels of dropout and repetition. In rural areas, the actual registration of students reached only 57% of the potential enrollment pool. Annual dropout and repetition rates in rural areas are estimated at 17 and 19%, respectively, with the worst rates in the first, second and third grades. Given the very difficult economic conditions in most rural areas, families register their children in primary school only to comply with the mandatory school enrollment legislation.

In El Salvador, many children fail to complete the school year. Out of every 100 children entering the first grade, only 19 complete the full primary education cycle. One of the main causes for high student dropout rates is the economic contribution children have to make to the family income. At an early age, children must help on the farm while older children obtain employment or care for their younger siblings. In rural areas, children from poor families go to school without a proper meal and their performance suffers.

Final: Commodity levels reflected in the mid-term findings remain unchanged. USDA provided 6,400 metric tons of corn, 2,500 metric tons of rice and 140 metric tons of soybean oil in support of the community-based primary education program. Food donated under the USDA-funded initiative comprised 100% of the school feeding program contributions received during the period.

Midterm: USDA provided 9,040 metric tons of commodities to the WFP El Salvador activity entitled, "Development of Community-Based Primary Education and Preventative Health Care."

The improvement in living conditions in districts affected by extreme poverty can only be achieved through medium and long-term economic development programs and social measures. These programs must ensure access to basic education and expand the coverage and quality of health services and social security. The WFP school-feeding project has been designed within this context and focuses on the 133 districts most affected by poverty.

The objectives of the community-based education component of the WFP project are to:

Children from poor families who are enrolled in the first six grades of primary education see school meals as an incentive to attend school regularly. In addition, the educational activities organized around the feeding program encourage parents to keep their children at school. The establishment of parent-teacher associations (PTA’s) allows them to get involved and help improve the school infrastructure through gardens and other activities. WFP has found the most active parent teacher associations are in schools with feeding programs.

The activity targets approximately 200,000 children in the first six grades of primary school who are enrolled and attend classes regularly. Under the program, previously distributed rations of milk have been replaced by a locally produced cereal blend (70% maize and 30% soy). In primary schools, cooks add some flavoring and distribute the drink to students. Rice and canned meat are included in the ration for the sake of variety in the preparation of school meals. For primary school children, the individual ration provides about 481 calories and 13 grams of protein, or about one-fourth of the energy requirements and one-fourth to two-fifths of daily protein requirements.

Final: In an effort to increase food security and promote income-generating activities, WFP and the Government of El Salvador partnered with a local private foundation to pilot school gardens in 54 schools. All 54 projects were successful. In the coming year, the pilot will be expanded and managers at the local and national level will evaluate the feasibility of creating community food banks to sell excess produce from the gardens. WFP continues to pursue and support partnerships with the private sector in El Salvador. The goals are to stimulate job and profit creation and to promote effective, independent program support as the agency prepares to phase out direct assistance in the coming years.

Midterm: The WFP project has broad support from government ministries and other donors. The Ministry of the Presidency and the Ministry of Planning provide logistical support for the activity while the Ministry of Health provides health education, de-worming and vaccination campaigns. External donors, such as the U.S. Agency for International Development, contribute training materials through its Maternal and Child Health Survival Project. The United Nations Children’s Fund assists the project with training for community leaders and its nutrition surveillance program. Additionally, the Pan American Health Organization provides technical assistance to develop nutrition and health education modules. Local community members also contribute in cash and kind for the transportation of the commodities.

The Government will provide support to the community associations, which on a limited basis are already taking over the administration of pre-primary school facilities and services. Increased government spending on basic education and enhanced community participation should lead to the eventual takeover of project activities.

The school feeding activity has a highly participatory approach because parents’ committees support the teaching staff and manage it. The parents also contribute some vegetables, pulses, sugar, and fuel for preparation of school meals.

Final: Prior to the arrival of GFEI commodities in 2001, WFP conducted a baseline survey in 243 primary schools with existing school feeding operations. The data collected in that first survey will be compared with follow-up data collected this year. Preliminary findings revealed high levels of parent and community member participation in the country’s school feeding programs. Overall, the survey found an average of approximately 13 to14 volunteers involved in program activities for every teacher.

Enrollment: Other reports show that student enrollment levels in schools with school meal programs have increased by 10% over the past five years, a substantial increase in a country recovering from a hurricane, two earthquakes, a drought and a coffee crisis. Rates of attendance have improved as well.

Attendance: Of the children enrolled, 92% attend classes regularly in schools where there are feeding programs as compared to 82% in schools without school feeding.

Midterm: Over the last three years, enrollment in primary schools increased 2.2% for girls and 1.4% for boys. With only one exception, average monthly attendance is higher for girls than for boys.

While enrollment has increased, student-to-teacher ratios and class sizes have decreased since 1999. The average student-to-teacher ratio has dropped from 36 to 32 students per teacher. Class size has decreased from 38 to 33 students per classroom in that same period.

Another important impact is on the level of community participation in education. It is clear that the school-feeding program involves many community members. The primary schools with school feeding programs have an average of four teachers and 51 community members involved in some way with the school feeding activity.

A Day in the Life of a Child in El Salvador. Mayra, her three sisters and four brothers live with their parents in the San Jose de los Ranchos community in Chalatenango, El Salvador. The community lacks paved roads and few families have electricity or any type of indoor plumbing. Most mornings, children in the village go to a nearby river so they can bathe before they go to school.

Mayra's father, Santos, works in the fields planting maize. His oldest sons help him support the rest of the family. Together, their income amounts to less than 94 US cents a day. Hunger is not a stranger in Mayra’s home. Despite all of the hard work, there is frequently nothing on the table for the family to eat for supper.

At school, Mayra and her brothers receive a meal that consists of rice, corn, canned meat or fish, and a drink that is fortified with micronutrients. Approximately 200,000 children in four of the poorest regions in El Salvador receive the same school meal. The ingredients are provided by WFP and parents in the community prepare the meal.

The meal helps the children concentrate during the day and reduces the risk of life threatening dietary deficiencies. The consequences of malnutrition can be catastrophic, especially for young children. A child who is chronically malnourished during the first five years of life can suffer permanent mental and physical damage.

In the absence of another reliable food source, a daily meal at school can make a big difference. For Mayra, it means that she gets to spend the day in school learning to read and write rather than working in the fields or in the streets.

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