Ambassador James Moran, head of the European Union Delegation to Egypt and Lubna Alaman, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) Representative and Country Director traveled to Beni Suef on Tuesday, in order to visit four out of 651 schools supported by their joint project, aimed at ending child labor in Egypt.
The school feeding project encourages 100,000 children at risk of entering the labour market, to attend community schools by providing them with a daily nutritious snack as well as take-home food rations for their families.
“Through the financing of this programme with a 60 million euros grant, the EU is contributing to the ongoing efforts to tackle some of the most critical issues affecting Egypt’s poorest children: undernutrition, access to quality primary education, and child labour,” said Ambassador Moran. “We are proud to be part of helping 100,000 children – and particularly young girls – to pursue their education and maintain their rights."
WFP is carrying out the four-year project in 16 of the most vulnerable governorates in Egypt. “Today we met some wonderful children who are eager to change their lives for the better,” Alaman said. “Through partnerships like this, WFP hopes to make a child’s simple dream come true. It is thanks to generous grants – like this one from the EU – that we can work each day among the most vulnerable communities in Egypt,” she added.
Around 400,000 members of families of those children, who maintain an 80 percent attendance rate, will receive monthly take-home food rations composed of 10 kilograms of rice and one liter of cooking oil, which compensates for the wage the child would earn at work.
The project will also provide training for 50,000 mothers on income-generating activities to help them provide for their families.
