UN food agency teams up with BBC in UK-Africa school twinning programme

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has joined forces with the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) to promote partnership and dialogue between hundreds of thousands of school children in Africa and Britain.

With its extensive contacts built through its worldwide school feeding programmes, WFP has offered a direct route to head teachers in remote areas to help the BBC to achieve its “World Class” initiative, which seeks to twin 1,000 British schools with partners across Africa.

The BBC says the initiative will develop relationships, enrich learning and enhance understanding between school children in Britain and Africa. Schools will be encouraged to share their experiences and celebrate the culture of the countries they come from.

For millions of children in Africa, WFP’s school feeding programmes are vital, providing youngsters with a meal that helps them concentrate in class and develop physically and mentally, as well as lifting part of the burden of care from parents who often struggle to feed their families.

In 2004, WFP, with help from its partners, enabled 16.6 million children in 72 countries around the world to go to school. School feeding programmes involve far more than food. They engage parents and communities in the promotion of public health, education and the creation of an independent future. At an average cost of around 19 cents a meal, WFP says the programme is a bargain.