Responding to food and fuel shortages

Each year, our partners interview students in the Youth Education Program to learn about their experiences and identify ways we can improve. This summer, students in grades three through nine emphasized that they were hungry and found it difficult to concentrate in school.

To address this concern, we shared the idea of peanut butter sandwiches and explained that they are nutritious, easy to make, and can be kept without refrigeration. Four girls in our vocational education program now prepare daily lunches, and over 55 children pick up a sandwich each morning on their way to school. 

The success of the ‘peanut butter sandwich project’ illustrates many things Engage Globally cares deeply about: listening to the voices of youth and program participants; learning across cultures; local design and implementation of solutions; improving nutrition; and creating jobs for young women.  

Many more students would like to participate in our peanut butter sandwich program. At approximately 40 cents per sandwich, this effort can feed 100 children for three months for $2,400.