Afghanistan, School Feeding Project, Qala-e-Qazi Middle School, Qarabagh

Afghanistan School Meals Programme is WFP’s largest. It strongly addresses gender disparity through the provision of take-home rations. Moreover, it represents a good example of evidence-based programme design as different approaches were piloted before launching the programme.

WFP helped increase girls’ enrolment and attendance rates by distributing a monthly ration of 3.7 litres of vegetable oil to girls, conditional upon a minimum attendance of 22 days per month. Oil is an appropriate food item for families: it is an important component of the local diet, with high nutritional value. This valuable commodity becomes even more essential before the winter, when prices increase significantly.

Photos: WFP/Jochebed Louis-Jean