Thanks to our Alimentando Futuros' daily balanced meal for 540 students at U.E. Escuela Canaima, school drop-out fell from 48% to 3%. These underprivileged children have today an incentive to attend school and the opportunity for a better future. Yet we need to secure these meals as Venezuela's economy continues worsening, with inflation of 1,800,000% (projected to 10,000,000% for 2019) and currency devaluation of 45% that drained our funds and is jeopardizing the end of the school year.
Today, in Venezuela, school dropout is +50% in low-income areas. Students & teachers don't attend regularly or go hungry. The first cause of this desertion is the shortage of food (Food scarcity affects 9 out of 10 households), its high costs, the long queues to obtain it, etc. Moreover, 90% of schools do not have the Student Feeding Program (PAE) normally provided by the government. This project then will secure a daily meal for 540 students at Canaima so they can finish the school year.
Our meal program has reduced school dropout to 3% but end of the year is at risk due to insufficient funds as a result of extremely higher cost of food. 100% of the funds collected go to the acquisition of the food that is needed to prepare this balanced meal defined by a nutritionist and which includes the 4 basic food groups: proteins, vegetables, carbohydrates and healthy fats. Volunteers from the community work very closely with and under the supervision of the school Principal and us.
Children are starving & dying in Venezuela. School dropout is +50% in low-income areas. The right to education is vital for the economic, social & cultural development of any society. Yet, it is inaccessible in Venezuela. There is no better investment than education. Children who eat & go to school are healthier, develop knowledge, have more confidence in themselves and are much more likely to become professionals. 540 children will continue receiving their daily meal and finish the school year.
