A third of Cameroon’s children younger than five suffer from malnutrition. Hunger and poverty are widespread, and many families cannot afford to send their children to school. School attendance is low, especially among girls, many of whom are forced to enter early marriages as a way to earn the resources needed to feed their families.

Counterpart worked on the USDA Food for Education program in Cameroon since 2008, with our most recent project beginning in 2012 and ending in 2015. We took a multi-sectoral approach, working in partnership with local leaders to improve school attendance and literacy, reduce hunger and strengthen the capacity of local communities to become more self-reliant. The program promoted health and hygiene, community-grown food and parent engagement by delivering daily school meals and “take home” rations, building community gardens, improving school infrastructure and educating communities about the value of education.