Help 3 750 rural children have a meal at school

Primary school is the base of futur development for children.

The infrastructure is the first step needed. ASAP has built 16 primary schools in rural areas. From 800 children in school in 2002  we have now 3.750 in 2023.

They are many other difficulties to make sure children receive a proper education.

Teachers sent in rural areas are the newly trained ones, since nobody really like to live in a village: problem of accomodation, living conditions (water, electricity, social contact) and also the villagers mentality.

Parents who have many children (one men has often 2 or 3 wifes) do not really care about the results of the children at school.

Children are also not motivated by the approach of the teachers. Teachers have never heard about appreciative approach. the "stick" is more used than the carrot!!!

In this sort of environment, the lunch at school is a strong motivator for children to come and stay at school.

We are now collecting funds for the new school year which will start October 1st 2023.

Thank you for your continuous support.

The lunch program has been one of the first project we have started 25 years ago in the primmary schools of Burkina Faso. 

At that time there was around 300 pupils concerned. Now there are more than 3.300 in this program.

One warm lunch definitly encourage the children (and their parents) to attend school. Young children of 6/7 years old come from a family environment to primary school which is an hostile environment. 

Teachers are generally very strict (sometime too strict). They have not be taught how to control a class which has over 50 pupils and they use the method which they have undergo during their own education. 

Also like eveywhere, there is a lot of bullying which does not encourage children to go to school.

Taking into account those, children will have a tendency to try to escape from school. Since some parents are not really following their children, the concequence is children abandonning school mainly for girls.

The lunch at school is really a motivator to go and stay at school. It is also giving the children additional food helping their development.

We are thankful that you are supporting this project. It might make the difference for a child to stay or abandon schooling.

Please communicate this project to your network.

Links:

• Lunch program november 2022

The school year has started early October in primamry schools in Burkina Faso.

Our local partner APPA has delivered the goods needed for the first quarter of this school year: rice, edible oil and salt. Parents have to bring beans for proteines.

Children were very excited n the school of the village of Fon, when the director asked the children to clean the space where the food is stored and the kitchen tools. Tis was a sign that food was coming.

Some of the children had alredy come to the director saying that they had stomach ache... 

The harvest has not yet been done and there is no food in the granary. Children are coming to school with an empty stomach.

In this situation, the lunch program is so important for the development of the children, also for the motivation to attend school and for a better follow up of the lectures.

We are very grateful for all donations. We have been able to provide food for 3.500 children in 15 primamry schools.

The provided goods will allow to provide lunch until the end of 2022. We need more funds for the rest of the year. 

Please communicate this project to your network.

Thank you

Links:

• Delivery of food at the primary school of Fon

There are many factors which impact the school results of the pupils: availability of books, follow up of the parents, teachers availability.

Other factors are the distance between home and the school. If too far children do not go back home and they have to be the whole day without food. In addition for the girls there is also the difficulty at time of menstruation.

Children without a meal at lunch time cannot follow the lectures in the afternoon. It is particularly true with the high temperature in the class room. Children are falling asleep.

We estimate that the availability of a lunch at school can improve the success rate of the pupils at the final primmary school exam by at least 15%.

On eof the difficulty is that lunch has to be given each day at school and each school year. the costs of $US 30 per child / year is not too high, but when they are 3.750 mouths to feed, it needs a lot of fund!!!

Taking into account the bad harvest of last year, children will not have much food in the families. It is even more important now to have a meal at school.

Thank you for your donations and also for any networking you can provide.