Final: For the academic year September 2002-June 2003, IOCC delivered meals to 93 schools (with approximately 14,200 students) in Georgia. The IOCC GFE school-feeding program, in its second year program, comprising two components: food distribution to 14,200 vulnerable children in 93 schools, and educational resource support to schools.

Midterm: Meals were delivered daily to 14,000 school children from October 2001-June 2002. Enrollment and attendance data for the year is currently being analyzed. Teachers and parents noticed students’ increased sense of confidence, greater class participation, and better attitudes toward learning. The educational component was delayed until the second semester because of a shortfall in commodity sales. Sales were hampered by the availability of smuggled wheat in the market. An extension is planned, and the program will continue until April 2003.

Midterm: International Orthodox Christian Charities, Inc., (IOCC) received shipment of and subsequently monetized 10,800 metric tons of hard red winter wheat. Proceeds were used to implement the project’s multiple components designed not only to increase enrollment, attendance, and performance, but also to enhance the learning environment.

IOCC-imported wheat grains are among the types used and preferred locally. Clients were pleased with the quality and usually milled the grain for sale as flour. In spite of the positive response to the U.S. wheat, the program was hindered by slow sales. Buyers reported that markets were oversupplied with wheat flour that had been smuggled into the country, making legitimate sales uncompetitive. As a result, the school supplies distribution component was cancelled, and implementation of the educational component was delayed until the second semester.

Approximately 59% of the monetization proceeds went to cover the cost of contracts with local bakeries and food companies to prepare and deliver school lunches. Meals consisted of cheese bread, bean pie, and sweet buns. All foods were wrapped in plastic bags with printed messages related to IOCC’s health, environmental, and civic education program.

Final: In January 2003, the second part of the book The Adventures of Tiko and Niko, was distributed. The book is 60-pages of illustrated exercises addressing proper behavior and health and hygiene practices.

Midterm - The IOCC GFE school feeding program, which began in October 2001, just completed its first academic year. It has two components: food distribution to 14,000 vulnerable school children, and educational resource support to schools. Target schools were identified in the vulnerable regions of Tbilisi, southern Georgia, and western Georgia. IOCC also gave priority consideration to the often-improvised schools established for children of internally displaced persons, one of the most vulnerable groups in Georgia.

IOCC has worked closely with the Georgian Ministry of Education in all aspects of project design and implementation. The ministry suggested interventions to IOCC to support the educational needs of students and teachers and provided data that identified the most vulnerable schools in each of the targeted regions. The table below shows the number of GFE target schools and beneficiaries by region.

Direct feeding: Meal distribution proceeded smoothly. Menus consist of the following locally produced items: khachapuri imeruli (cheese bread); khachapuri penovani (a cheese pastry); lobiani (bean pie); qada (similar to imeruli, it has a sweet filling instead of cheese); and buns. Milk is served twice a week, and juice three times a week. The meals were designed by local dieticians and each meal, valued at approximately $0.43, provides 35 percent of the daily calories, 50 percent of the daily protein, and 35 percent of the daily calcium needs of children. Milk and juice are packaged in Georgia by two local factories, using Tetra Pak materials printed in Turkey.

Educational support component: The educational component of the program began at the start of the second semester in January 2002. The Adventures of Tiko and Niko, a 64-page illustrated sticker book printed by IOCC in both Georgian- and Russian-language editions, was developed in cooperation with the Center for Civic and Environmental Education, a Georgian non-governmental organization (NGO). The organization, which came highly recommended by the Ministry of Education, has experience working with donor organizations in the fields of health, environmental, and civic education.

Children learn about health, the environment, and civic education by matching the printed sticker, which they receive with their daily meal, to the illustrations in the book. This exercise becomes a teaching topic for the class. Prior to the distribution of the workbooks, teachers were given guidance regarding their role in implementation.

As this activity progressed, teachers in a number of schools in southern Georgia became concerned about their participation in this exercise. A few teachers at first refused to participate, claiming there was not enough class time to introduce new material. Other teachers were concerned about the distribution of the educational materials to first- and second-grade students, claiming students ages 6 and 7 do not yet fully understand Russian, nor is Georgian the commonly used language in the region. However, with the support of the local branches of the Ministry of Education, all these concerns were addressed.

Tests were administered in October and November 2001 to approximately 5 percent of the total number of children in GFE schools in Tbilisi and in southern and western Georgia. The test assessed their existing knowledge regarding health, environmental, and civic education issues prior to the implementation of the educational component. The tests were retaken at the end of the academic year. This will provide a basis for analysis, although one semester is a very short period to evaluate.

Posters featuring the booklet characters and illustrations related to health, environmental, and civic education topics were printed in both Russian and Georgian and distributed to all participating schools. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), IOCC, and Georgian Ministry of Education logos appeared on the poster.

Other donor support: Teachers, school officials, and parents will contribute labor and logistical support at the school sites.

Sustainability: IOCC has worked closely with the Ministry of Education in the implementation of this program.

Final: See evaluation methodology in Appendix 1.

Midterm: Monitoring and evaluation is the responsibility of both IOCC and USDA. USDA hired a local monitor to administer a questionnaire designed for statistical analysis of the project impact, as well as to interview stakeholders at 20 sample schools. However, the local monitor was not officially hired until June 2002 and has not been able to gather data yet. Data collection and general project review will begin when schools open in the fall.

To select the 20 sample schools, a matrix was developed that grouped schools according to geography, urban/rural location, and size of school. These criteria offered the best opportunity to examine potential differences in project implementation and impact.

IOCC monitors visit each school to ensure that forms are properly completed, children are receiving meals, and quality is maintained. Participating bakeries are monitored at least weekly. At the bakeries, monitors check for discrepancies in the records, inspect the facility for general cleanliness, conduct a physical count of stock on hand, and check the quality of the products.

Final: Georgia has mandated educational requirements; therefore it is difficult to see an increase in enrollment and attendance.

Midtem: Teachers, school directors, and parents stress the importance of the program for both parents and children. Through focus group sessions and interviews, various participants mentioned that many families, because of high unemployment, couldn’t afford to provide healthy meals for their children. People in rural areas especially have limited knowledge of the importance of nutrition to a healthy life, and even if they wanted to apply this knowledge, they cannot act on it because of limited financial resources.

Final: Based upon information received from 20 schools, the enrollment rate in the schools had experienced little increase, by average 1.5%, with particular increase in girls.

The official enrollment figure reported by the school administrators to the Ministry of Education and its local branches responsible for collecting such information have been used for evaluation. This is based upon the 20 selected schools only.

Final: Attendance analysis by regions shows overall (apprx. 10.1%) increase in attendance. This information is based upon the 20 schools selected to be monitored.

Midterm: IOCC is conducting an analysis of attendance. Participants report that student attendance has improved. Parents send their children to school, even on days when they otherwise would not have, because they know that the meal the child receives at school may be more nutritious than the one available at home. The majority of teachers understand the importance of the school feeding program because it provides children with a portion of the necessary daily required nutrients, and they see the link between the food and its effects on the children’s concentration, energy, and self-esteem. Children are more eager to come to school, and they welcome the opportunity to eat together with their peers without paying any attention to their social status.

Final: In addition to improvement in academic performance the children became more creative, they are using boxes and packages of the delivered food to make small bags for their school inventory, books, and also they are making different creatures and handcrafts. Sometimes, schools arrange exhibitions for the hand made creatures where small houses and gardens have been presented made from the boxes.

Midterm: It is difficult to assess whether or not the performance rate of children was affected because of the short period of operation. However, many teachers, school officials, and parents pointed to various indicators of improved performance, including the following:

Special emphasis on girls: IOCC is conducting an analysis of the impact of the feeding program on girls’ attendance.

Final: The program has very positive effect on the local economy; it gives the opportunity to entrepreneurs to be involved in the preparation and distribution of food in the region. Some of the bakeries have employed an additional 11 persons. They are using local materials, such as: cheese, ages, bins, and milk, for production. Revenues collected are used for the improvement of the community’s social services.

Midterm: The following lessons are provisional, pending complete analysis.

The lead-time necessary to get commodities delivered to a country and monetized is longer than anticipated in most cases. In addition, changes in local market conditions between the time when the project is designed and the time of actual commodity delivery can affect monetization sales.

Nutrition and household economic issues that can be mitigated by school meals are not the only factors that must be addressed if the goal is to increase attendance and enrollment and improve classroom performance.

Tamuna Tiginashvili is a third grade student from Vashlijvari IDP School in Tbilisi. She lives with her mother, grandparents, and an uncle. Her mother and grandparents are unemployed, and her uncle is a minibus driver. Her father left the family and is supposedly living in Russia. Tamuna says that the school feeding program has helped her to learn better. Of all the meals served, she likes khachapuri penovani (flaky, layered cheese pie) and juice the best. She also enjoys the booklet and says she has learned many things that she did not know before. Her family is also very satisfied and happy with the program. Tamuna says she hopes to someday become a television commentator.

Diana Nakopia is a second grade student, also from Vashlijvari IDP School in Tbilisi. She lives with her mother, father, and brother. Neither of her parents is currently employed. She says she loves to come to school and, of all of the meals served, she really likes the bun with milk. She says that the booklet provided in the educational component of the program helps her to get along better with other children. Both she and her parents are very happy and hope that the program will be extended into the next academic year. Diana would like to someday become a dancer.

Many parents report that they are unable to properly feed their children at home. In some cases, there is no breakfast, or breakfast is limited to bread and tea. For others, coming up with lunch money for their children every day is quite a challenge. Even for those who have less difficulty providing for their families, the fact that someone is doing something for the children on such a scale is greatly appreciated.

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