Timor-Leste

School Lunch Program (Programa Merenda Escolar) 

Feeding program (Lunch)

Started: 2015

Status: Ongoing

National

Reach: Public and Private day schools, Monday - Friday during the school year

School level: Preschool, Primary and Secondary (grade 1 - 9)

Program goals:

• Ensuring that all children who attend pre-school and basic education establishments integrated in the State's public supply network have a daily meal of healthy, balanced and essential food content for their development and encourage their participation in pre-school education -school and basic education, promoting the teaching and learning process; 

• Reduce the risk of poverty in school-age children; 

• Reduce the rate of malnutrition and malnutrition of school-age children; 

• Reduce the dropout rate and meet educational goals;

• Promoting healthy eating habits among educational communities; 

• Promote the participation and socio-economic development of communities in the construction of a sustainable development policy; 

• Contribute to the economic development of local farmers; 

• Promote territorial cohesion. 

Managed by Ministry of Education, Youth & Sport (MEYS), Municipal Authorities plus the Regional Authority of the Special Administrative Zone of Oé-cusse-Ambeno (RAEOA) and Ministry of State Administration (MSA). Entities engaged in program include WFP, Care International, UNICEF, Ministry of Health and Ministry of Agriculture. 

Please note: All care has been taken to identify and verify information, however some details may have been missed. If you have any suggestions/updates, please email us: hello@pacificschoolfoodnetwork.org.