Development Aid:US Donates FCFA 14 Billion To Cameroon

The US Department of Agriculture has offered a grant of 27 million US dollars (circa FCFA14 billion) to Cameroon for a nutrition and literacy programme for primary schools in four regions. The announcement is contained in a press release made public by the embassy of the United States in Yaounde on November 30. Going by the press statement, the 200,000 people in the Adamawa, East, North and North West regions will benefit from the programme which will be implemented within a period of five years. The programme known as the McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition programme will impact 265 schools in the aforementioned regions with direct beneficiaries being teachers, pupils and parents. It will provide nutrition, teacher training, health and sanitation, and good governance training to government officials at regional and national levels.

The objectives of the programme, as outlined in the press release, include enhancing the quality of literacy instruction; improving student attentiveness by providing daily school meals; raising community awareness of the importance of education by providing take-home rations and strengthening the capacity of parent-teacher associations; and promoting good health and dietary behavior. The US Ambassador to Cameroon, Peter Henry Barlerin, said the grant demonstrates the value Cameroon and the US place on child...