The Ministry of National Education (MENFP), in partnership with the World Food Programme (WFP), organized a consultation workshop on the resilience of the National School Meal Program (PNCS) in Pétion-ville on July 18. This is a national initiative aimed at finding alternative solutions to this problem, in a context where nearly 5.7 million Haitians are experiencing food insecurity.

At the opening of the workshop, Augustin Antoine, Minister of National Education, once again emphasized the importance for the Haitian government to continue working closely with its partners to increase the number of meals offered to children in schools, before announcing an increase in the budget allocated to school meals for the 2025-2026 academic year.

According to Minister Antoine, the national food crisis requires the implementation of innovative, local, and urgent solutions to stem it or at least reduce its impact, particularly in schools.

"A child who doesn't eat can't learn, just as a teacher who doesn't eat can't teach," declared the Minister, who believes that only the fight for education can free the country from the multidimensional crisis it is experiencing.

Vernet Joseph, the Minister of Agriculture, welcomed this initiative as a strategic response, given the vulnerability of the number of households facing food insecurity. He advocated for the continued use of local products in school cafeterias. This represents "an added value for the national economy [...] Feeding our children with products from our agriculture strengthens the link between agriculture, national production, and rural development. Furthermore, it represents a great opportunity to create added value in rural areas, generate jobs, support farmers' incomes, and revitalize the countryside."

Kevenot Dorvil, General Coordinator of the PNCS, believes that it is in this difficult context that action must support the country's various public policies. For him, the signing of the "Declaration of Commitment" calls for addressing the humanitarian emergency by carrying out concrete actions under the aegis of the National Council of the Coalition for School Feeding.

For Clément Rouquette, Program Manager at the WFP office, the school canteens are the perfect example of a successful partnership between the sovereign power of the State, which sets a clear direction in terms of public policies, and the implementation capacity of the World Food Programme, stating, "WFP will always be at your side to support this dynamic and support the efforts of the Haitian government, in the service of Haitian children, families, and producers."

At the end of this activity, which brought together representatives of public institutions, international cooperation agencies, and Haitian civil society, a "Declaration of Commitment" was signed, addressing technical and financial support for school feeding programs. This commitment commits to promoting, by 2030, a set of measures that can be broken down into five categories.

Category 1 : Ensure structural financing for the national school canteen program for sustainable food sovereignty

Strengthen the development of agricultural value chains specific to the needs of school canteens and increase contributions and financing from the private sector by strengthening public-private partnerships, among other things.

Category 2 : Capacity Building for Stakeholders

Strengthen the institutional, technical, and operational capacities of the PNCS, both at the central and decentralized levels, by implementing a capacity building plan developed based on a capacity gap analysis; Support research and the academic sector in developing and disseminating innovative solutions adapted to the Haitian context, training qualified human resources for the sector, and developing and implementing harmonized national standards for school infrastructure, in consultation with operators, among others.

Category 3 : Multisectoral Coordination, Integration, and Innovation

Strengthening synergy of action among all stakeholders involved in implementing the school feeding program; Institutionalizing the National Council on the Resilience of the School Meal Program, among others.

Category 4 : Coordination, Monitoring, Accountability, Knowledge Management

Establishing, among other things, a transparent monitoring and evaluation mechanism, including clear and precise indicators.

Category 5 : Communication and Awareness-Raising

HL/ HaitiLibre