School Feeding in Venezuela: Caracas and Miranda

This project seeks to provide complete and nutritious meals to 7 650 children in targeted communities in Caracas and Miranda state using an integrated approach that strengthens school-aged children's educational outcomes. It aims to do so by combining school feeding with inclusive water sanitation and hygiene interventions at the school and household level and promoting increased children and adolescent participation in platforms to voice their concerns. Project activities include: (1) providing 8 500 students (of whom 4 565 are girls) and 605 teachers and school personnel (of whom 445 are women) in 19 schools with nutritious food and access to hygiene kits including menstrual products and practices; (2) training 400 teachers and school personnel (of whom 445 are women) in 19 schools to use gender-sensitive methodologies such as prevention of gender-based violence referral processes and rights of the child to have access and trained on the use of educational kits; and (3) establishing a technical operational team in 12 schools to ensure local ownership monitoring and access to information by parents and community members including gender-sensitive practices.

The expected outcomes for this project include: (1) improved educational performance by students; (2) improved teacher retention and performance; and (3) increased gender equality and children’s rights for students.