Stakeholders from the World Food Programme (WFP) are in St Kitts and Nevis conducting a technical mission to assess school meals and nutrition initiatives across the federation.
Courtesy Visit to Prime Minister
The WFP team paid a courtesy call to the Prime Minister, attended by Minister of Education and Deputy Prime Minister Dr. Geoffrey Hanley. Representatives from the Ministries of Health, Education, and Agriculture also joined the meeting.
Discussions focused on the role of nutrition in education and the government’s ongoing support for school feeding programs.
Meetings with Government Officials
The mission included introductory sessions with senior officials from the education ministry and related departments. These meetings allowed leaders to align partnership priorities, share insights, and define the assessment’s scope.
Latoya Matthew-Duncan, Nutrition Surveillance Officer in the Ministry of Health and focal point for the mission, highlighted its value: “The Technical Mission represents an important opportunity for the Federation to not only look at our national school meals programme from a much wider angle, but also to assist us with identifying gaps and challenges, as well as look at ways to adjust them. I think this mission is timely, as school nutrition in the Caribbean is a big deal. I think that it is a great vessel to look at nutrition interventions for St. Kitts and Nevis overall.”
Alessio Orgera, WFP Regional Adviser for School-based Programmes, described the effort as a key assessment. A detailed report will follow to guide future actions.
Focus on Child Nutrition
The government emphasizes child nutrition as a core element of its education strategy. The mission aims to pinpoint gaps in the national nutrition policy and enhance the overall school meal program.
