The World Bank has pledged $25 million toward a feeding program for schools in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa.
Last year, the Addis Ababa city administration launched a school feeding program that benefits about 300,000 students aiming to boost enrollment and reducing absenteeism and drop outs among school children.
The bank’s decision came following a discussion held on Friday between Engineer Takele Uma, Deputy Mayor of Addis Ababa and Carolyn Turk, World Bank Country Director for Ethiopia, Sudan and South Sudan.
Engineer Takele said on Facebook that the new funding is part of the World Bank’s urban productive safety net program.
Carolyn Turk for her part assured the Deputy Mayor of the bank’s continued support to development activities of the city administration.
Some 850,000 students in Ethiopia, mainly from elementary schools are currently benefiting from a school feeding programs being implemented in different parts of the country.
Started initially by the World Food Program partial funding in the southern region of Ethiopia a few years ago, the program is now taken over by the regional governments.
The regions are now allocating budgets for the program, according to a report by the country’s Education ministry.
MG/as/APA