LILONGWE, Malawi

Education officials and humanitarian organizations in Mozambique warned Wednesday that the US aid freeze to the country will negatively the development of early childhood education.

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has for the last 12 years supported the country’s National School Feeding Program (PRONAE) with $75 million to improve the quality of early childhood education with a focus on pre-school education and children’s rights.

The program, which is jointly implanted by the government and World Vision-Mozambique, has seen 22 million meals served by 2024 to more than 93,000 primary school students in 160 schools in the Muecate and Nacaroa districts in Nampula Province.

Lopes Muquera, deputy director of Together Educating Children, an initiative implementing the program, told Anadolu that withdrawal of funding for the program will likely reverse gains that have been registered in the past 12 years.

“We are likely going to witness school drop-out rates increasing and nutrition status of children and their mothers who were also being targeted in the course of implementing the program, getting affected. This development has dealt us a severe blow and will have far-reaching consequences,” said Muquera. “This program has been key to increasing student turnout, fighting hunger and preventing child malnutrition.”

In an attempt to save the program from “imminent death,” representatives from the government, communities and partners in the country have joined forces to advocate for its continuity, innovation and sustainability.

The UN World Food Programme (WFP) warned last month that 57,000 children in Nampula could be left without school meals due to the lack of funding.

Anabela Munarapa, head of the department of Cross-cutting affairs at the provincial directorate of education in Nampula said the freezing of funds “has incapacitated communities who have been at the center of its implementation. We are all likely going to feel the impact of this decision.”

Munarapa said, however, that efforts are being made “to mobilize resources to make sure that we are able to manage its continuity.”

“The government, at various levels, will continue to assist schools and communities in the districts to access meals, so that we maintain the rate of school attendance,” he told Anadolu.

The US State Department froze almost all foreign assistance in February.

Mozambique and the US signed a development cooperation agreement in April 2022 worth $1.5 billion over five years.