Following 6 years of civil unrest and violence that shuttered schools and plunged the Northwest province of Cameroon into hardship, most schools finally resumed on October 4, 2022, bringing an end to one aspect of the broad social disruptions that impacted but did not halt Nascent’s school feeding program.

While regional strikes and incidents of violence continue, the feuding parties have pledged to allow broad resumption of schools and to guarantee the safety of returning children.

Nascent field teams welcomed the developments and were on hand to supply learning materials, and logistical support, in preparation for the full resumption of the school-based components of the McGovern-Dole Food For Education Program.

Program staff, for the duration of the conflict, have distributed take home rations for students, organized community and mobile libraries, and reading camps, to backstop learning during the period of disruption. While these measures were an effective expedient, staff and community members are eager to return to formal schooling and the more robust in-school feeding program routine which promotes the best learning and nutrition outcomes.

At great personal risk, Nascent’s agile staff have successfully provided food relief to children and women throughout the conflict and are now poised to double their efforts to help children who inevitably fell behind, to catch up and resume an essential childhood activity; LEARNING.