School Feeding Program at Merha Tebeb School Ethiopia

Thanks to Almaz, a local teacher who fights to give even the very poorest children in the village access to education, 50 children now receive a warm meal at school. 10 of these children are HIV positive, but receive no medication due to financial shortcomings; many of their parents are beggars, and without this daily meal at school, their children would be cleaning shoes in the streets or begging themselves in order to be able to eat even once a day. A hungry child cannot concentrate during lessons, but how can a mother even send her child to school if she can barely afford food? With the support of another woman from the village, Fentaye, Almaz cooks a nutritious lunch every school day, which is served to the children on the school premises.

Since many parents do not have the skills required to help their children with schoolwork, Almaz also keeps an eye on the academic development of her students. The school’s Feeding Program not only offers students a warm meal, but also shows them that their academic performance is valued. The goal of this project is to help create a better, independent future for these children.