Dr. Jonathan Koehler, Cultural Attaché from the U.S. Embassy of Cameroon, experienced first-hand how Counterpart International is tackling the challenges of food insecurity and education in the Northern Region of Cameroon.

’It is heartwarming to see the great work Counterpart is doing in this community on behalf of the USG. We have been discouraged in the past with the approach of some NGO using USG funds but what I have seen here today reassures me that the US government is positively impacting on people’s lives through this project,” Dr. Koehler said.

Dr. Koehler, along with other members of the delegation, took a guided tour of Counterpart’s Food for Education project in the Garoua village where he met thousands of educators, local leaders, community members, and children who benefit daily from school meals and take-home rations.

Dr. Koehler and his team visited EP Lainde Daneyel, one of the 150 beneficiary schools apart of the integrated feeding program. The school has a total number of 1,294 students enrolled with 622 girls and 672 boys. Attendane shot up from 60 percent in 2012 to 97 percent in 2013.

Dr. Koehler participated in a reading exercise with children from Grade 4, reading out loud English words for children to respond to. Dr. Koehler offered books to the school and thanked the community for the warm welcome.