Canada and WFP support social inclusion of Syrian refugees in Egypt through education
Canada and WFP support social inclusion of Syrian refugees in Egypt through education
Source : WFP
24-Mar-2019
The Ambassador of Canada to Egypt and the World Food Programme’s (WFP) Deputy Country Director visited one of the schools of their joint school feeding project that has assisted over 1 million Egyptian and Syrian students over the past 4 years.
With a generous contribution from Canada, of 10 million Canadian dollars, WFP started this project to support access to education for Egyptians and Syrians alike. It also promotes the social inclusion of Syrian refugee school children in more than 570 public schools in Cairo, Alexandria, Damietta, and Qalyoubia.
“With the Canadian government’s support, WFP has been able to transform lives through education and enhanced nutrition for students attending public schools that host Syrian refugee children,” said WFP Egypt Deputy Country Director Simone Parchment. “Through this project, we are able to support Syrian refugee students as well as their Egyptian peers with a comprehensive education assistance package.”
WFP’s school feeding projects in the country support the National School Feeding Programme, a key social safety net. While meeting the immediate nutritional needs of school children, WFP strengthens the capacity of their teachers through various trainings on nutrition, emergency preparedness and positive discipline as well as renovating school facilities to encourage children to attend school.
“Canada’s development assistance aims to build the capacity of individuals, households, and communities as a whole. Through this project, we are helping improve the conditions of conflict-affected students, building social cohesion and laying the foundation for the sustainable development and stability of such communities,” said Ambassador of Canada to Egypt Jess Dutton.
The Government of Canada is among WFP’s top donors globally. Canada shares WFP’s goal to achieve a world with zero hunger and contributes to WFP’s mandate in Egypt by supporting the country’s most vulnerable communities.
WFP has been in Egypt since 1968, working with the government to respond to humanitarian needs and tackle the underlying causes of vulnerability to food insecurity and malnutrition in the country.