Apply Now: School Meals and Food Assistance in Haiti

The World Food Programme (WFP) has launched a call for expressions of interest to engage organisations in supporting school meals, food assistance, nutrition, and supply management activities in Haiti. Selected partners will help schools improve meal delivery systems through training, monitoring, community engagement, resource management, and coordination with local stakeholders.

About the WFP Haiti School Meals Programme

The World Food Programme (WFP) is seeking qualified organisations to support the implementation of school meals and nutrition assistance activities in Haiti.

The programme aims to improve access to nutritious meals for students while strengthening school-based food management systems, accountability mechanisms, and community participation.

Partner organisations will work with schools, communities, local authorities, and education stakeholders to ensure effective and transparent delivery of food assistance.

Programme Objectives

The initiative aims to:

• Strengthen school meal programmes in Haiti.
• Improve food security among school communities.
• Support child nutrition and wellbeing.
• Enhance school canteen management systems.
• Improve transparency and accountability in food assistance.
• Encourage community participation in school feeding activities.
• Promote the use of local and fresh food products.

Key Areas of Support

The programme focuses on four major areas:

Education Through School Meals

School meals support children’s education by improving:

• School attendance.
• Student participation.
• Learning conditions.
• Access to nutritious food.

Partner organisations will help schools operate effective and sustainable meal programmes.

Food Security Through Food Assistance

Partners will support:

• Delivery of food assistance.
• Management of food supplies.
• Distribution of resources to schools.
• Tracking and reporting of food items.

The programme aims to ensure that food assistance reaches targeted schools safely and efficiently.

Logistics and Supply Distribution

Organisations will assist with:

• Receiving food supplies.
• Managing basic and domestic items.
• Distributing materials.
• Tracking inventory.
• Protecting programme resources.

Proper supply chain management will help maintain continuity of school meal activities.

Nutrition Support

The programme will promote:

• Nutrition awareness.
• Healthy eating practices.
• Hygiene education.
• Child health support.
• Safe food preparation.

Role and Responsibilities of Selected Organisations

Selected organisations will support schools through supervision, training, monitoring, and technical assistance.

School Supervision and Monitoring

Partners will conduct:

• Regular school supervision visits.
• Monitoring of school meal activities.
• Follow-up support for implementation challenges.
• Reviews of canteen operations.

These activities will help ensure compliance with WFP standards.

Training and Capacity Building

Partners will provide training to:

• School staff.
• Cooks.
• Parents.
• School councils.
• Canteen management committees.
• Community stakeholders.

Training topics will include:

• Nutrition.
• Hygiene.
• Health practices.
• Gender equality.
• Meal preparation.
• Food storage.
• Stock management.
• Waste management.
• Environmental and social standards.
• Accountability systems.

Strengthening School Canteen Management

The organisation will support:

• School councils.
• Canteen management committees.
• Meal planning processes.
• Food handling procedures.
• Resource management systems.

The goal is to improve the long-term sustainability of school feeding operations.

Community Engagement and Participation

Partners will encourage:

• Parent involvement.
• Community ownership.
• Local participation in school meals.
• Awareness activities.

Community engagement helps create stronger and more sustainable school feeding systems.

Coordination With Local Stakeholders

The selected organisation will coordinate with:

• Local authorities.
• Education departments.
• School administrations.
• Community organisations.
• Other programme partners.

Coordination will improve implementation and strengthen monitoring systems.

Use of Local and Fresh Products

The programme encourages schools to use:

• Locally produced food.
• Fresh agricultural products.
• Community-based supply networks.

This approach supports both child nutrition and local food systems.

Monitoring, Reporting and Accountability

Partners will be responsible for:

• Collecting operational data.
• Preparing activity reports.
• Supporting monitoring and evaluation.
• Maintaining complaint and feedback systems.
• Reporting implementation challenges.

Accountability mechanisms ensure that assistance is delivered effectively and transparently.

Risk Management and Continuity Planning

Partners will help address risks affecting programme delivery by:

• Identifying operational challenges.
• Supporting emergency responses.
• Maintaining coordination systems.
• Ensuring continuity of school meal activities.

Who Is Eligible?

The opportunity is intended for organisations with experience in humanitarian assistance, education support, nutrition, or community-based programmes.

Eligible organisations may include:

• Non-governmental organisations (NGOs).
• Humanitarian organisations.
• Community-based organisations.
• Organisations with experience in food assistance programmes.

Applicants should demonstrate capacity in:

• School-based interventions.
• Food distribution.
• Nutrition activities.
• Training and supervision.
• Monitoring and reporting.
• Community engagement.

Why This Programme Matters

School meals play an important role in improving child wellbeing and education outcomes.

The programme helps by:

• Reducing food insecurity among children.
• Supporting access to nutritious meals.
• Strengthening school communities.
• Promoting healthier behaviours.
• Supporting local food systems.
• Improving resilience during humanitarian challenges.

How the Programme Works

The implementation process includes:

1. Organisations submit expressions of interest.
2. WFP selects suitable implementing partners.
3. Partners coordinate with schools and authorities.
4. Schools receive food and required supplies.
5. Partners provide training and supervision.
6. School meals are delivered according to programme standards.
7. Data and feedback are collected.
8. Progress is monitored and reported.

How Organisations Can Prepare an Application

Interested organisations should:

1. Review WFP partnership requirements.
2. Confirm organisational eligibility.
3. Prepare evidence of relevant experience.
4. Demonstrate operational capacity in Haiti.
5. Describe approaches for training, monitoring, and community engagement.
6. Submit the required expression of interest documents.

Tips for a Strong Expression of Interest

Organisations should:

• Highlight previous school feeding experience.
• Demonstrate strong field presence.
• Explain food management systems.
• Include community participation strategies.
• Show monitoring and reporting capacity.
• Describe risk management approaches.
• Demonstrate coordination experience with government and education partners.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Applicants should avoid:

• Applying without relevant programme experience.
• Providing unclear implementation plans.
• Ignoring nutrition and hygiene requirements.
• Failing to explain monitoring systems.
• Not demonstrating community engagement capacity.
• Overlooking accountability mechanisms.
• Providing incomplete organisational information.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the WFP Haiti School Meals Programme?

It is a food assistance initiative that supports school meals, nutrition activities, and food security for students in Haiti.

What organisations can participate?

Organisations with experience in humanitarian assistance, school feeding, nutrition, logistics, or community programmes may apply.

What support will selected organisations provide?

Partners will provide training, school supervision, food management support, monitoring, reporting, and community engagement.

Why are school meals important in Haiti?

School meals help improve child nutrition, support education participation, and strengthen food security among vulnerable communities.

What training activities will partners conduct?

Training will cover nutrition, hygiene, health, gender equality, canteen management, food storage, waste management, and accountability.

Will organisations manage food supplies?

Yes. Partners will support receiving, distributing, tracking, and protecting food and non-food programme resources.

How will programme quality be monitored?

Partners will collect operational data, participate in monitoring activities, maintain feedback systems, and report progress.

Conclusion

The WFP Haiti School Meals and Nutrition Support Programme provides an opportunity for organisations to strengthen food security, child nutrition, and education support through effective school meal systems. By improving school canteen management, community participation, supply distribution, and accountability mechanisms, partners will contribute to building sustainable nutrition support systems for children and communities across Haiti.