[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 27 (Thursday, March 4, 2004)]
[House]
[Pages H843-H844]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 CATHOLIC RELIEF SERVICES BRINGS FOOD AND EDUCATION TO THE CHILDREN OF 
                                 BENIN

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern) is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Mr. McGOVERN. Madam Speaker, right now there are more than 300 
million chronically hungry children in the world. 130 million, mainly 
girls, do not attend schools. The other 170 million go to school on an 
empty stomach, stunting their ability to learn. I want

[[Page H844]]

to describe how one U.S. organization, Catholic Relief Services, is 
making a difference in the lives of such children in the African nation 
of Benin.
  We can all be proud of the work that Catholic Relief Services does in 
our name around the world. CRS is known for its integrated approach to 
development, weaving together programs that help poor nations address 
the challenges of hunger, malnutrition, illiteracy, and poverty. At the 
same time, CRS promotes community participation, empowerment, and 
economic opportunity.
  In 2001 and 2002, CRS received funding through the United States 
Department of Agriculture's McGovern-Dole food for education pilot 
program to begin school feeding programs in six districts in 
northwestern Benin. The problems facing Benin are daunting. It ranks 
extremely low on the United Nations human development index, at number 
147 out of 162 countries. In the region where CRS is carrying out this 
program, families engage mainly in farming and fishing, with annual 
incomes of around $175. During the long dry season, the food security 
situation becomes very tight, even by Benin standards. Only about 30 
percent of parents send their children to school.
  Facing these realities, the CRS-Benin school feeding program began by 
strengthening or creating parent-teacher associations in order to 
increase local commitment to education. These PTAs became involved in 
providing meals to schools, reaching out and encouraging local families 
to send their children to school, and determining how to meet basic 
needs regarding the number and quality of teachers. In 61 schools, the 
CRS-Benin program provided daily school breakfasts and lunches to 
nearly 9,000 children each day. It also targeted 3,500 female students 
for take-home rations as an incentive to increase school attendance by 
girls. Additional rice and soybean oil were awarded to girls who 
achieved at least an 85 percent attendance rate each quarter. Summer 
school and other programs were initiated to meet the needs of displaced 
or otherwise crisis-affected children.
  As part of its integrated approach to development, the CRS-Benin 
program monetized USDA-provided soybeans to fund a number of other 
critical interventions for these students, including micronutrient 
supplements to improve student health; hygiene, health and nutrition 
education for parents and teachers; school latrines and other 
sanitation infrastructure; training for teachers and school directors 
in improved teaching and school management methods; and community 
awareness campaigns on the importance of education for girls.

                              {time}  1315

  The CRS-Benin program also works with the World Health Organization 
and other NGOs to administer deworming pills to the students in these 
schools.
  In just 2 years, the program has achieved increased student 
attendance and enrollment, especially for girls; decreased dropout 
rates; and increased community participation in the schools, including 
contributions of local foods by families to supplement the U.S.-
provided commodities. Some schools have started school gardens or farms 
in support of the school kitchens. And parents have showed new and 
improved problem-solving skills tackling such matters as teacher 
recruitment, improving school classrooms and buildings, and lobbying 
local Education Ministry officials for more teachers.
  Last year the CRS-Benin program received 2 more years of funding 
through the McGovern-Dole program. CRS-Benin received approximately 
$4.1 million in rice, lentils, and sunflower oil from farmers in 
Colorado, Texas, Tennessee, and Kansas. The program now reaches 12,500 
school children, and its achievement can only expand and solidify.
  Under the McGovern-Dole pilot program, CRS once carried out similar 
programs in Albania, Bosnia, Guatemala, and Honduras. Deep funding cuts 
in the McGovern-Dole program, however, resulted in the survival of only 
the Benin program. Sadly, more than 95,000 children in the other four 
countries are now cut off from these vital food, education and health 
services.
  I want to express my admiration and respect for the national and 
field staff of the Catholic Relief Services and their partners, who 
carry out these important programs in Benin and elsewhere. They deserve 
our support and they require more funding.
  Madam Speaker, there is no better investment we can make for a more 
stable world than in the education and well-being of our children, both 
here at home and around the globe. I urge the congressional leadership 
of this House to significantly increase the fiscal year 2005 funding 
for the USDA McGovern-Dole program and for other USDA and USAID food 
programs.

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