Biscuits to boost school attendance

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) told IRIN on Sunday it was beginning to distribute 10,000 mt of fortified high-energy biscuits recently donated by the Indian government. Afghan President Hamid Karzai inaugurated the programme by distributing biscuits to schoolchildren of the Amani High School in the Afghan capital, Kabul. The biscuits will help to feed school children in Afghanistan's four principle provinces of Kabul, Kandahar, Jalalabad and Herat. "The donation of the Indian government will permit WFP to assist up to one million children this year. Most of these children are in rural areas where food access is difficult," Susana Rico, WFP deputy country director for Afghanistan told IRIN. The biscuits, made in India from wheat flour fortified with micronutrients, give children a nutritional boost and enhance their ability to learn. "Food in schools will help children concentrate in lessons better," Rico explained, noting that the donation would enable WFP to meet the target of feeding one million school children during the academic year. According to the UN food agency, the main objective of the food for education programme was to rebuild and support the education system of Afghanistan, especially basic education. "WFP has agreed with the Ministry of Education to widen the scope of the school feeding programme to include non-formal education, vocational training, salary and supplement for teachers, reconstruction of class rooms and a de-worming campaign to be conducted in schools where intestinal worms are a problem," Rico said, calling for every effort to be made to increase the enrolment of students - predominantly girls - to schools. Abdul Bashir Oryakhel, a teacher at the Qargha High School of Kabul, told IRIN that the tons of biscuits would help facilitate the enrollment of students in the academic year commencing mid March. "It will create a spirit of interest in attending school for children," the 50-year-old teacher said, adding that taking food, predominantly bread, to school was an old tradition among Afghan children and the biscuits would be a positive incentive for children to attend.