Economic Empowerment
Through the Gender Innovation Project, WFP Guinea-Bissau is supporting women’s farming associations in the regions of Bafata and Oio. In exchange for part of their fresh produce, which goes towards WFP school meals in 16 schools, WFP gives farming equipment to the women.
Aveline Torres, a member of one of the women’s farming association, provides some of the produce from her fields to the schools and sells the rest of the produce in a nearby market.
“Through farming, I get more than US$ 200 each month. It allows my parents to sustain our 20 person household, including paying the school for the younger ones,” said Aveline.
In addition to generating income, the vegetables provided to the school about twice a week - including lettuce, onions, cabbages, carrots, peppers, cassava, and potatoes - make the meals of the children tastier and more nutritious.
5,000 children have received these nutritious meals and the project is estimated to have boosted the incomes of 1,600 women.
“This project both diversifies the agricultural production of the communities and the diet of the school children, improving their nutrition status and as a result, their growth and ability to learn,” said Paulo Sambu, Inspector for School Feeding from the Ministry of Education.
This project is being implemented in partnership with the Ministry of Education, UNICEF, FAO, the Ministry of Agriculture and NGOs.
A group of women farmers stand in one of their fields. WFP / Wilson Gama