This impacts on children, particularly those who have to walk long distances to primary schools on empty stomachs. "Enrolment has grown from the pilot phase 40 000 students in 1994 in 40 primary schools to over half a million in 1 036 schools in 2005 by the 2004/2005 academic year", a WFP officer said. Schools were then built in pastoralist areas to encourage them to settle permanently and allow their children to attend school. The initiative supports girls from grades one to eight in the Afar, Oromiya, Somali and south Ethiopia regions, benefiting 40 000 girls in primary schools, according to WFP. In addition, every girl, who attends schools for at least 80 percent of each term, receives eight litres of vegetable oil to take home.

Source: Ethiopian News September 13, 2017 18:11 UTC