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UN study: Healthy school meals boost attendance and income
Dana Al-Zyadat, Jordan News
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AMMAN – The UN World Food Program (WFP), in partnership with the Ministry of Education (MoE) and the World Bank,
recently announced the preliminary findings of the impact evaluation for the
National School Feeding Program.اضافة اعلان
The evaluation comprised two main components. The first examines whether children receiving the healthy meals experience greater benefits than those receiving fortified date bars. The second component explores whether women employed by the program, responsible for preparing the meals in community kitchens, experience any changes in their socio-economic development compared with women who were not offered a job by the program. Preliminary results indicate that the healthy meal model enhances children’s school attendance, dietary diversity, and energy levels. Among female kitchen workers, the findings reveal increased income, a greater willingness to participate in the labor market, and more openness among male spouses regarding female earnings.
Minister of Education Dr. Azmi Mahafzah, emphasized “Balanced nutrition positively impacts students in various ways – physically, mentally, psychologically, and socially. It boosts motivation to learn, curiosity, and exploration, forming the foundation for overall growth. Healthy students, as a result, become the core of a society that can actively contribute to economic and social development while addressing issues like poverty, unemployment, and diseases.”
Meanwhile, WFP Representative and Country Director Alberto Correira Mendes said “The impact evaluation reveals concrete improvements for vulnerable children and dedicated kitchen workers.”
Mendez added that annually fruits and vegetables from nearly 1,500 local smallholder farmers, support the livelihoods of 450 bakers and workers, and employ 1,250 women in 50 kitchens across Jordan.
Introduced in 2022, the healthy meal model provides nutritious school meals, including a freshly baked pastry, fruit, and a vegetable, to 90,000 vulnerable Jordanian and refugee children between the ages of 5 and 12 enrolled in public schools across six governorates. The meal ingredients are sorted and packaged daily in eleven community-based kitchens, providing formal employment to 250 vulnerable women. WFP and MoE also provide nutrition education, encouraging healthy eating habits among children and their parents.
Ananda Paez, Social Protection and School Feeding Team Lead at WFP Jordan told Jordan News “The National School Feeding Program prioritizes schools within poverty pockets. The Department of Statistics (DOS) generates a comprehensive list highlighting communities where at least 25 percent of the population lives below the national poverty line. The Ministry of Education (MoE) then identifies all public schools operating in those areas and includes them in the program, serving children from kindergarten to sixth grade.”
Paez added “The National School Feeding Program is the primary social safety net in Jordan that supports both vulnerable Jordanians and refugees by providing them equal benefits through a single delivery system, irrespective of nationality.”
Lama Al Majali, Program Policy Officer – Nutrition, WFP Jordan told Jordan News “The National School Feeding Program offers children a portion of their daily nutritional needs. The date bar is fortified with vitamins and minerals, including iron, and the healthy meal provides nutritional value from more diverse foods. For maximum impact, WFP and MoE are implementing a nutrition education component alongside healthy school meals, aiming to enhance nutrition knowledge and improve dietary habits for children beyond the classroom, ultimately contributing to enhanced health status.”
She noted that the National School Feeding Program contributes to reducing children's reliance on school canteens, offering satisfying and filling meals.
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Jordan News
The evaluation comprised two main components. The first examines whether children receiving the healthy meals experience greater benefits than those receiving fortified date bars. The second component explores whether women employed by the program, responsible for preparing the meals in community kitchens, experience any changes in their socio-economic development compared with women who were not offered a job by the program. Preliminary results indicate that the healthy meal model enhances children’s school attendance, dietary diversity, and energy levels. Among female kitchen workers, the findings reveal increased income, a greater willingness to participate in the labor market, and more openness among male spouses regarding female earnings.
“The impact evaluation reveals concrete improvements for vulnerable children and dedicated kitchen workers.”
Minister of Education Dr. Azmi Mahafzah, emphasized “Balanced nutrition positively impacts students in various ways – physically, mentally, psychologically, and socially. It boosts motivation to learn, curiosity, and exploration, forming the foundation for overall growth. Healthy students, as a result, become the core of a society that can actively contribute to economic and social development while addressing issues like poverty, unemployment, and diseases.”
Meanwhile, WFP Representative and Country Director Alberto Correira Mendes said “The impact evaluation reveals concrete improvements for vulnerable children and dedicated kitchen workers.”
Mendez added that annually fruits and vegetables from nearly 1,500 local smallholder farmers, support the livelihoods of 450 bakers and workers, and employ 1,250 women in 50 kitchens across Jordan.
Introduced in 2022, the healthy meal model provides nutritious school meals, including a freshly baked pastry, fruit, and a vegetable, to 90,000 vulnerable Jordanian and refugee children between the ages of 5 and 12 enrolled in public schools across six governorates. The meal ingredients are sorted and packaged daily in eleven community-based kitchens, providing formal employment to 250 vulnerable women. WFP and MoE also provide nutrition education, encouraging healthy eating habits among children and their parents.
“The National School Feeding Program is the primary social safety net in Jordan that supports both vulnerable Jordanians and refugees by providing them equal benefits through a single delivery system, irrespective of nationality.”
Ananda Paez, Social Protection and School Feeding Team Lead at WFP Jordan told Jordan News “The National School Feeding Program prioritizes schools within poverty pockets. The Department of Statistics (DOS) generates a comprehensive list highlighting communities where at least 25 percent of the population lives below the national poverty line. The Ministry of Education (MoE) then identifies all public schools operating in those areas and includes them in the program, serving children from kindergarten to sixth grade.”
Paez added “The National School Feeding Program is the primary social safety net in Jordan that supports both vulnerable Jordanians and refugees by providing them equal benefits through a single delivery system, irrespective of nationality.”
Lama Al Majali, Program Policy Officer – Nutrition, WFP Jordan told Jordan News “The National School Feeding Program offers children a portion of their daily nutritional needs. The date bar is fortified with vitamins and minerals, including iron, and the healthy meal provides nutritional value from more diverse foods. For maximum impact, WFP and MoE are implementing a nutrition education component alongside healthy school meals, aiming to enhance nutrition knowledge and improve dietary habits for children beyond the classroom, ultimately contributing to enhanced health status.”
She noted that the National School Feeding Program contributes to reducing children's reliance on school canteens, offering satisfying and filling meals.
Read more Features
Jordan News
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