School Feeding Response Activity (SFRA) Quarterly Report April-June 2019

The activity is implemented by the World Food Program (WFP) in collaboration with the Ministry of Education (MOE) and other stakeholders. The SFRA has made significant progress in the first quarter of 2019. In Riohacha and Cúcuta, a total of 1,644 girls and 1,639 boys have been assisted with nutritious school meals. The activity has expanded the school meals program (SMP) in targeted schools through the provision of nutritious food items, with 1,291 children assisted in Riohacha and 1,811 children assisted in Cucuta. The SMP coverage has been enhanced for Venezuelan students, with 1,291 children assisted in Riohacha and 1,811 in Cucuta. The activity has also made progress in identifying and assisting indigenous students. In La Guajira, children have been identified through the SIMAT system, while in other regions, ethnicity will be determined from attendance lists. In Riohacha and Cucuta, 42 indigenous students have been identified. Additionally, the activity has identified some educational centers that keep records of migratory status, and the WFP will record migration statuses using attendance lists at least once a month. The SFRA has also made progress in strengthening the national school feeding program through new methodologies and strategies. The activity has hired a monitoring associate, Mónica María Olarte, and has defined the methodology for products 3, 4, and 5. The activity has also coordinated work with the MOE, Isegoría, and other stakeholders to define the scope of the products and identify the methodology for the map of actors, innovation experiences, and best practices. The activity has also made progress in community integration and the prevention of discrimination, xenophobia, and violence. The SBCC strategy associate, Jordana Zancaner, has been hired, and a work plan has been designed in line with the SBCC framework. The activity has coordinated work with the World Food Programme's SBCC specialist, Marianela González, and has shared diagnosis tools with UNICEF. The activity has also visited schools in La Guajira and Cucuta to present the SBCC strategy and gather feedback. The SFRA has also made progress in monitoring, evaluation, and learning. The activity has defined the areas for gathering information on rural experiences and has postponed the delivery of products 4 and 8. The activity has also shared the characteristics of school feeding in Barranquilla and Magdalena with the MOE's regional liaison. The SFRA has also faced some implementation challenges, including the hiring process for the monitoring associate and the definition of the methodology for products 3, 4, and 5. However, the activity has made significant progress in the first quarter of 2019 and is on track to achieve its objectives. The SFRA has a total budget of USD 4,988,075.58, with USD 4,988,075.58 committed and obligated. The activity has hired 4 field monitors and an administrative assistant, and has collaborated with World Food Program resources and staff from the regional WFP offices. The activity has also defined the scope of the products and identified the methodology for the map of actors, innovation experiences, and best practices. The SFRA has a strong partnership with the MOE, Isegoría, and other stakeholders, and has made significant progress in the first quarter of 2019. The activity is on track to achieve its objectives and is expected to continue making progress in the coming quarters.