- Haiti's school meals program is a social protection initiative that improves student attendance, food security, and nutrition.
- The program strengthens Haitian agriculture by sourcing food locally, supporting farmers, and fostering economic resilience.
- It provides nutritionally balanced menus using locally produced, energy‑rich, and diverse foods, helping students and communities navigate crises and instability.
Imagine a meal that doesn't just fill a child's stomach but also boosts local economies, strengthens communities, and keeps students in school even during the toughest times. In Haiti, this is precisely what's happening through an innovative school meals program.
Amid persistent challenges like political instability and food insecurity, Haiti, with vital support from GPE, and other partners, is making remarkable strides. This initiative isn't just about feeding children. It's about fostering local agriculture and building community resilience by providing school meals made with locally-sourced food.
For students like Roseberline Jean, a 7th grader at National Girls' School in Fort Liberté, these meals are a daily comfort and a powerful motivator.
"I live with my mother, who sells coal for a living, and my two sisters. I really like the meals served at school – especially the broth, which is my favorite. Thanks to the cafeteria, I don't go hungry during class. It is well run, and every student gets the same amount of food. I enjoy sharing a good meal with my friends in a pleasant atmosphere," she said.
Roseberline's experience highlights the profound impact of these meals, which extend far beyond the classroom.
A National Priority: Fueling Progress and Resilience
Haiti's commitment to expanding school feeding across public schools is a national priority, proving to be a powerful engine for social and economic transformation. This initiative is helping communities not only withstand but also adapt to the overlapping shocks of political instability, economic crises, and natural disasters.
With support from GPE, the World Food Programme, the Inter-American Development Bank, Education Above All, and other partners, Haiti is driving results at scale. This intersectoral approach cleverly combines education, nutrition, protection, and local development to create a holistic impact.
The benefits are clear: expanded meal coverage has significantly increased student attendance and ensured children continue learning, even during crises. Furthermore, Haiti's dedication to sourcing food locally is providing a vital boost to agricultural production in communities like Fort Liberté.
Impacting Thousands: A Look at the Numbers
Between October 2024 and August 2025, the program delivered school meals to almost 34,000 students across 118 schools, exceeding its initial target of 30,000. Over 3.9 million meals were distributed during this period, fueled by a US$19 million GPE Multiplier grant and an additional $58 million in co-financing from the Inter-American Development Bank and Education Above All.
Even during school closures, support continued with over 448,700 take-home rations delivered in July 2025, ensuring children and families didn't go without.
A Teacher's and a Farmer's Perspective
Behind every number is a classroom, a child, and a teacher witnessing the difference firsthand. For Pierre Manoucheka, a grade 5 teacher at National Girls' School in Fort Liberté, the impact is visible from the very first hours of the school day.
"The cafeteria opened at the start of the school year. In the morning, the first thing students do is check what's being prepared in the kitchen. When they see the stoves lit, they feel reassured," Manoucheka said.
The program's commitment to local sourcing is also a game-changer for Haiti's farmers. For Dr. Gnagna Ndicupe, Head of the World Food Programme Sub-Office, the results speak to something larger than nutrition alone.
"The school canteen has helped increase student attendance, reduce dropouts, and improve academic performance. The World Food Programme works with small-scale producers to strengthen their production capacity and diversify their products. Thanks to this support, they now have a stable market in schools, supplying the food needed to prepare school meals. Today, the focus will be on a decentralized local purchasing model to further boost the local economy," Ndicupe said.
The numbers reflect that vision in action. A remarkable 70% of the agricultural products used in school meals come from a network of over 170 local farmers organized into cooperatives in the Grand Nord province. These farmers, including members of MOPA, Haiti's national professional agricultural organization, are now integral to the system. The home-grown school feeding model in the Nord-Est department has sourced food from over 1,500 smallholder farmers, 62% of whom are women — significantly strengthening local agriculture and economic resilience.
Quality from Farm to Fork
The journey from field to classroom follows a rigorous process designed to guarantee consistency and safety. Evens Serafin, National School Canteen Coordinator at Amente, walks through exactly how it works.
"All produce goes through a quality check. We verify moisture content and ripeness, then store it. Next comes the processing stage, carried out by members of the community, who sort the produce. We weigh the produce and bag it to ensure the correct quantities go to schools," Serafin said.
That attention to detail — from cooperative to kitchen — is what ensures over 34,000 students receive meals they can count on, every day.
A Lifeline in Times of Crisis
School meals are often the only reliable meal of the day for many students. With acute food insecurity at an all-time high in Haiti — UNICEF estimates 1 million Haitian children face extreme food insecurity — these meals are nothing short of a lifeline.
The program is designed not just to feed, but to nourish for development. Seki Richmond, Head of the World Food Programme's School Canteen Project, explains the thinking behind every meal.
"The school feeding program is a social protection program that aims to improve student attendance. Farmers are at the heart of the program because they provide the food used to prepare school meals. Care is taken to ensure that meals meet students' daily energy and nutritional needs. Energy-rich foods such as rice, corn, and sorghum are prioritized, along with vegetables such as lentils, peas, and oil, as well as iodized salt to support cognitive development," Richmond said.
The Power of Partnership and a Vision for the Future
This extensive work is a testament to what strong, coordinated partnerships can achieve. Hervé Boursiquot, Director General of Haiti's National Office for Partnership in Education, sees the program as a model for how collaboration works in practice.
"All this work aims to improve the quality of education, and we thank all partners who support Haitian schools, whether through school canteens, textbooks, or teacher training. To better coordinate these efforts, the National Office for Partnership in Education ensures that each partner responds to a specific need. This is what makes this education partnership in Haiti strong and successful," Boursiquot said.
That coordination matters especially in a context as challenging as Haiti's. Mohamed Yassine, Country Engagement Lead at GPE, puts it plainly.
"The situation in Haiti remains difficult, with the country facing numerous crises, but the ministry, partners, teaching staff, and parents continue working to ensure that children have access to school and benefit from basic services such as school meals," she said.
Looking Ahead: Ambitious Goals for a Brighter Tomorrow
The foundation is solid — and the ambition is clear. Haiti's National School Feeding Policy and Strategy, established in 2015, sets a target of 100% coverage by 2030, ensuring every student receives regular, nutritious meals.
A $19 million GPE Multiplier grant (2024–2028) has already unlocked an additional $58 million in co-financing from the Inter-American Development Bank and Education Above All, with 59% of that funding dedicated to scaling school feeding nationwide. The government has also committed to increasing the share of locally sourced ingredients to 50% by 2026 and 100% by 2030 — deepening the program's dual impact on both education and economic development.
For the children of Haiti, every lit stove, every weighed bag of produce, and every shared meal is a signal that their country is investing in their future.