CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT AND SUPPORT TO THE NATIONAL SCHOOL FEEDING PROGRAMME IN CAPE VERDE

This operation expired in June 2015.

In September 2010, after 30 years of WFP assistance to the school feeding programme in Cape Verde, the Government took over funding and management of WFP’s school feeding assistance, making it the first nationally-owned school feeding programme in West Africa. School feeding has been in place since 1979 and currently covers all primary schools and public kindergartens. The programme has largely contributed to the high enrolment rates in primary schools (92 percent for the 2007/2008 school year), while supporting the food security and nutrition of students and providing social protection to the most vulnerable families. 

Cape Verde’s economic development and good governance have created the conditions for a sustainable programme that is integrated into the essential package for the national education plan. Current global economic and financial trends combined with high international food and oil prices present, though, a long-term risk that could jeopardize the sustainability and efficiency of the national school feeding programme. Aware of these risks and convinced of the need to maintain an efficient programme, the Government of Cape Verde has requested the United Nations Joint Office in Praia to provide technical support in specific areas aimed at consolidating and strengthening the gains already made to secure continuity of the programme.  

Through the ‘One UN’ Joint Office, WFP has been called to continue providing capacity development assistance to Cape Verde A United Nations Joint Programme (UNJP) was designed jointly with the Government in 2010 and officially approved in February 2011.