The year 2022 marks the 20 anniversary of the USDA McGovern-Dole Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program, which has provided 5.5 billion school meals benefitting 31 million school-age children in 48 countries. The program has improved the food security, nutrition, literacy, and primary education of children and their families. Counterpart has been a proud implementing partner to USDA McGovern-Dole since 2008, when it began its first McGovern-Dole programming in Cameroon and Senegal. Counterpart now implements McGovern-Dole programming in Mauritania, Mozambique, and Senegal. Here are a few highlights from each country.

Impact in Mauritania

Counterpart’s The Future is Ours! McGovern-Dole program in Mauritania works in partnership with the government to reduce hunger, improve health, and strengthen the primary education system. The program distributes school meals and deworming medicines to students. An integral component of McGovern-Dole is literacy improvement and teacher training. Counterpart and its partner, ARED, have developed teacher training curriculum and textbooks, which the Ministry of Education is adopting for use nationwide. Watch here to learn more about The Future is Ours!

Impact in Mozambique

In Mozambique, Counterpart’s McGovern-Dole program, Our Bright Future!, works with Associação PROGRESSO, CESC, and Creative Associates International to support the government of Mozambique to develop sustainable approaches to improve health outcomes and strengthen primary education in Maputo province. Watch the video to see what we are celebrating on this anniversary.

Impact in Senegal

In 2018, Counterpart launched its third phase of McGovern-Dole programming in St. Louis, Senegal. A seminal achievement of our partnership with the Ministry of Education has been their increased capacity to plan, finance, and implement a national school feeding program that embraces Counterpart’s holistic, community-led approach. Additionally, with Counterpart-led capacity building support, local purchasing groups have led procurement processes and procedures for locally and regionally sourced commodities to supply schools. Learn how the community boosted participation and increased class attendance here.

Watch United States Representative Tracey Mann advocate for continued funding of this valuable program.

Learn more about the Mcgovern-Dole Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program in Mauritania here.

Learn more about the Mcgovern-Dole Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program in Mozambique here.

Learn more about the Mcgovern-Dole Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program in Senegal here.