The McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program
The federal McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program is named after former Senator George McGovern (D-SD) and former Senator Bob Dole (R-KS) for their long-standing commitment to U.S. government efforts in school feeding and child nutrition around the world. Congress first authorized the program as part of the 2002 Farm Security and Rural Investment Act, better known as the 2002 farm bill. It has always had bipartisan support.
The McGovern-Dole program’s purpose is to reduce hunger and promote literacy and primary education, especially for girls. It does this by providing school meals and by carrying out other activities that boost the impact of providing these meals. So far, McGovern-Dole has reached 40 million children with food at school. It is currently active in 24 countries.
Over the years, the McGovern-Dole program has led to important improvements in children’s food security and nutritional status and in school enrollment, attendance, and gender parity. It has been proven effective in getting children, particularly girls, into school and helping them stay in school. School meals improve students’ ability to concentrate and learn. They also strengthen food security for the children’s families. In the longer term, educating girls is critical to ending hunger and malnutrition in future generations.
Tools
from our Resource Library
For Education
The Nourishing Effect
Hunger and food insecurity add at least $160 billion a year to U.S. healthcare costs.
The U.S. Contribution to Ending Global Malnutrition
We have a new opportunity in 2017 to speed up global progress against malnutrition among pregnant women and young children. Worldwide, maternal and child malnutrition causes millions of deaths each year. In some countries, it holds entire generations back from reaching their economic potential....
Fact Sheet: Nutrition During Famine
Famine means that 20 percent or more of the households in an area have “an extreme lack of food and other basic needs where starvation, death, and destitution are evident.”
Famine has been declared in two counties of South Sudan, while other areas of South Sudan, Nigeria, Somalia, and...
For Faith
The Bible on Health as a Hunger Issue
A brief examination of the biblical approach to health as a hunger issue.
Includes an introduction to the issue, a Scriptural reflection, practical actions you can take, and a prayer.
Bread Newsletter January 2016
In this issue: Another Great Year for Bread; Catholics Begin Observance of Holy Year of Mercy; Serving on ‘God’s Wave Length’ for 39 Years; and more.
Interfaith Religious Leaders’ Pledge to End Hunger
A wide array of the nation’s faith leaders have come together on the eve of Pope Francis’ arrival in the United States to commit ourselves to encourage our communities to work for the end of hunger by 2030 and, toward that end, for a shift in U.S. national priorities.
We are deeply pleased...
For Advocacy
Grassroots Advocacy Toolkit
A set of how-to sheets for carrying out advocacy and fact sheets on the current issues Bread for the World is working on.
For new and current Bread grassroots hunger activists.
Ideal as a starter toolkit for new Bread activists or as a set of updates for current activists.
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The State of Black Poverty: A Pan-African Millennial Perspective on Ending Hunger by 2030
Over the past year and a half, about two-dozen young adults from the United States and countries in Africa and the Caribbean, have gathered virtually and in person to reflect on the effects of hunger and poverty in black communities. The working group has been considering socio-political and...
Fact Sheet: The Hunger-Medicaid Connection
Congress is considering proposals that would jeopardize healthcare coverage for millions of poor and near-poor adults and children.
Legislation under consideration in the House and Senate would gut...