School feeding projects improving education standards

Bright-eyed and quiet, 11-year-old Zainab Ravanova likes reading folk stories. "I love stories and poems, they have always fascinated me," she told IRIN at the Oktiab village school in Shahrinov district, west of the Tajik capital, Dushanbe. Ravanova's father died ten years ago in the brutal 1992-1997 civil war. Now her mother, three sisters and a brother share a difficult life in a run-down house in Oktiab. Thanks to CARE International's school feeding project, Ravanova and her siblings are continuing their education. Her mother, also a member of the parent's committee, praises the project. "This is helpful and enables me to make ends meet," Slima Khalilova told IRIN. Although she runs a grocery shop, her small profits barely cover expenses. Tajikistan inherited a good education system from the Soviet era, but it crumbled with the collapse of the Soviet Union and the devastating civil war, and may take years to rebuild. Education has suffered greatly from lack of resources and many skilled teaching staff have left or are not entering the profession due to poor wages and conditions. During the civil war many schools were looted and qualified teachers fled abroad, especially to Russia, which still remains a favourite destination for many Tajik migrant workers. In Soviet Tajikistan eight years of education was compulsory, and this was extended to nine years in the newly independent republic. This meant universal levels of literacy were achieved in a span of three generations in the 20th century. However, declining standards are threatening to make Tajikistan one of the few countries where the new generation may lag behind their parents in education. Aid workers are sceptical of official claims of 98 percent literacy levels. The United Nations Development Programme put the average enrolment rate for all levels of education (ages six to 23) at 62.1 percent in 2002. There is now a 14 percent drop-out rate, according to a study carried out in 2001 by the United Nations Children's Fund. However, there is hope for thousands of children like Ravanova because of school feeding projects throughout Tajikistan. With more than one million Tajiks still depending on food aid, food security remains a major humanitarian and development challenge. Innovative projects continue to improve enrolment and contribute to raising other standards in education. CARE's Supporting Partnerships for Education in Tajikistan project (SPET) has increased overall student attendance rates from 66 percent to 93 percent in the last 18 months. Girls' attendance increased from less than 60 percent to 93 percent. Girls' education in Tajikistan has suffered most because parents in rural areas either resist their education or favour boys, who are perceived as future breadwinners. Teacher attendance also rose from 70 percent to 97 percent in the same time period. All this was done in 10 secondary schools in three impoverished districts of Yavon, Shahrinov and Hissor surrounding Dushanbe. All three regions have higher unemployment levels. Oktiab school now has 200 more students than a year ago, making a total of 600. CARE is also helping the local population to renovate the 80-year-old school building. "Our projects are based on an integrated development model and are working well," the agency's country director, Genevieve Abel, told IRIN. She said the food aid project also compensated for the informal school fees. While education is officially free in Tajikistan, many schools collect one US dollar a month from students, who also have to pay for their textbooks. The UN World Food Programme's (WFP) country director, Ardag Meghdessian, said school feeding had a lasting impact on education standards. "First and foremost it is increasing attendance and enrolment. It also improves nutrition for children, which enhances their intellectual capacities," he told IRIN. In partnership with NGOs, WFP is providing food aid to some 1,600 schools in rural areas. This constitutes roughly 50 percent of all schools in the country. Some 370,000 students and thousands of their teachers benefit from this effort, which is one of the major components of the US $74 million WFP project for the country. Sustainability remains a key challenge to such projects. "Education is very valued in Tajik society and they have a sense of community responsibility," Abel said. "We hope that with improvements in the economy they will be able to invest in their own future."