95,000 schoolkids to get nutritious biscuits

WFP Country Representative Christa Räder hands the 75gm High Energy Biscuit to a student of Khorda Govternment Primary School at Kalaroa, Satkhira on Tuesday. PHOTO: COURTESY

The World Food Programme (WFP) and Unilever in a joint programme will provide 95,000 primary school students with micronutrient-fortified biscuits in four upazilas of cyclone Aila-hit Satkhira.
The schoolchildren of Shyamnagar, Assasuni, Tala, and Kalaroa upazilas will get a 75-gram packet of eight biscuits, six days a week, said a WFP press release Monday.
The food ration provides 338 kilocalories per day. Unilever is donating $2 million to feed the schoolchildren in Satkhira.
Rakesh Mohan, chairman and managing director of Unilever Bangladesh Ltd, said this is the first donation in a major public-private partnership initiative between Unilever, the WFP, and the UN agencies to fight child malnutrition in Bangladesh.
Unilever has committed to providing the money for the programme for the next two years.
WFP Bangladesh Representative Christa Rader inaugurated the feeding programme at Khorda Government Primary School in Kalaroa upazila on Monday.
Rader said they were very grateful to Unilever, which is a key partner in the fight against hunger and under nutrition.
"School meals provide vital nourishment, act as a safety net for poor families, and also help keep children in school. Having a full stomach helps children concentrate better in class," Rader said.
Rakesh Mohan said they would combine the strengths of the private sector with the development knowledge of the public sector, and have a sustainable impact on the reduction of poverty and malnutrition.
Satkhira Deputy Commissioner Abdus Samad and Khorda Government Primary School headmaster Rakibul Islam also spoke at the launch.