Implemented by Nascent Solutions, The McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition project assists primary schools in four regions of Cameroon seeks to improve the literacy of school-age children and increase their use of good health and dietary practices. These regions suffer on average, moderate to severe food insecurity in more than 15% of households. A recent influx of conflict refugees from Nigeria and the CAR into the Adamawa, East and North regions, has further taxed the already meagre food supply of those regions. In 2017, around 450,000 children of school age (3 to 17 years) required humanitarian assistance in the East, Adamawa and North. Stunted growth, as a result of malnutrition is evident in up to 39% of children in some of these communities.
This chronic malnourishment severely impacts learning and academic success; obstacles compounded by endemic lack of school infrastructure, overcrowded classrooms where any classrooms are present, inadequate school materials and poor teacher training. Nascent’s implementation of the McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program seeks to significantly improve the literacy of school-age children through improved literacy instruction, student attentiveness, student attendance; and increase the use of positive health and dietary practices. The primary markers for action will be improving: