Chechnya School Feeding Program to Reach 16,000 Students
Sixteen thousand children from three districts in Chechnya will receive hot meals in 2004-2005, as a Christian relief and development organization expands its activities
Sixteen thousand children from three districts in Chechnya will receive hot meals in 2004-2005, as a Christian relief and development organization expands its activities from Urus Martan to the mountainous areas of Vedenskii and Nozhai Yurt Districts, southeast of the Chechen capital Grozny.
In partnership with the United Nations World Food Program, World Vision is delivering monthly rations to 2199 children in Vedenskii region, 4041 in Nozhai Yurt region and 9760 in Urus Martan region, enabling primary school students to receive hot meals during the school day. Though the southern districts were hit hard by conflicts in the war-torn nation, they have received little humanitarian assistance, World Vision reported.
“Families face severe difficulties obtaining even the most basic resources, due to insecurity and shortages of fuel, electricity and water,” the agency stated. “Limited purchasing power means they cannot buy protein and vitamin-rich foods, resulting in unbalanced diets, particularly among the most vulnerable populations. “
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David Womble, the Program Manager for World Vision said, “WFP School Feeding Program will be integrated into existing programming and will complement both current and planned projects. We hope to increase beneficiary participation by encouraging personal and civic contribution to projects and to create recognition that sustainable development can only be achieved through the active participation of the community.”
While World Vision delivers monthly rations to children in the Vedenskii, Nozhai Yurt, and Urus Martan regions, parent-teacher organizations and student councils assist with the delivery and offloading of commodities, complete monitoring reports, ensure the safeguarding/storage of donated commodities and assist with the preparation of hot meals for students.
During the previous school year, World Vision worked with communities to conduct health and psychosocial training sessions, promote community mobilization, strengthen parent-teacher organizations and student councils and foster community involvement in project activities. World Vision also rehabilitated school kitchens, storerooms, and cafeterias in 27 schools in Urus Martan District.
Future repair work will further improve the school environment, improving the quality of education in target schools and promoting increased attendance. In Vedenskii region, initial work will involve the repair of kitchens where facilities are in poor condition to enhance school feeding opportunities.
It is anticipated that World Vision, with the US State Department Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (BPRM), will undertake repairs in ten schools of Urus Martan and ten in Vedenskii districts.
To find out more about World Vision's work in Russia visit http://meero.worldvision.org/.
