In many parts sub-Saharan Africa, 60 percent of children come to school in the morning without breakfast, if they attend school at all. Many suffer from health and developmental problems, including stunted growth. Exhausted from hunger and poor nutrition, they often have trouble paying attention and learning during class.
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) provides school meals for about 20 million children in Africa. While some national governments, including in Côte d'Ivoire, have provided school meals for decades, the food, fuel, and financial crises of 2007-08 highlighted the role that school nutrition programs can play in not only improving education, health, and nutrition, but also providing a safety net for children living in poverty. For some children, these programs provide the only real meal of the day.
Improved school menus provide students with much-needed nutrition while also creating an incentive for both students and parents to keep up regular attendance. Some programs include a take-home ration, targeted specifically at improving the attendance of girls. In exchange for an 80-percent attendance rate for one month, for example, students are able to take home a jug of vegetable oil to their family. Students also often share the nutrition information they learn at school with family members, helping to improve the nutritional value of meals made at home.
Earlier this year, the Partnership for Child Development (PCD), in partnership with the WFP and with funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, launched the Home Grown School Feeding (HGSF) program. HGSF, modeled in part after programs developed by the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD), works with governments to develop and implement school feeding programs, improving the diets and education of students while also creating jobs and supporting local agriculture.
Starting with five countries that were either already running school food programs or had demonstrated an interest in them and a capacity for implementation-including Côte d'Ivoire, Nigeria, Mali, Kenya, and Ghana-HGSF hopes to create a bigger market for rural farmers through demand created by purchasing only locally grown and processed food for school meals.
"The definition of 'local' varies from country to country," says Kristie Neeser, program coordinator at PCD. "Some schools keep their food purchasing within the local community and some keep their purchasing within the country. But what is most important is creating that relationship between the farmers and the government program."
To best facilitate links between farmers and governments, HGSF works closely with the ministries of education to develop programs that will suit local needs and customs. In Ghana, for example, markets are run by "market queens," women who purchase vegetables from farmers and then sell them to commercial buyers at markets. To avoid disrupting this system, HGSF works to incorporate the market queens with Ghana's school purchasing process, instead of attempting to deal directly with the farmers, as programs in other countries often do.
Ultimately, HGSF hopes to work with 10 countries, transitioning each program to being fully government owned, funded, and implemented-creating a permanent safety net for school children and a dependable demand for local, small-scale, farmer-sourced produce.
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The highways in southern Africa are filled with trucks carrying food aid across the continent. In the past, much of the maize, rice, soy, and other foods loaded onto these trucks came not from African farmers, but from the United States. And while these shipments provided much needed calories to people in need, they also disrupted national and local markets by lowering prices for locally grown food.
But today, more and more of the crops providing food aid come from African farmers who are selling directly to the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) through local procurement policies. In Liberia, Sierra Leone, Zambia, and several other nations in sub-Saharan Africa (as well as in Asia and Latin America), WFP is not only buying locally, but helping small farmers gain the skills necessary to be part of the global market.
The WFP's Progress for Profit (P4P) program, with funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Howard G. Buffett Foundation, and the Belgian government, is working with the private sector, governments, and NGOs to provide an incentive for farmers to improve their crop management skills and produce high-quality food, create a market for surplus crops from small and low-income farmers, and promote locally processing and packaging of products.
In Zambia, WFP buys food directly from the Zambia Agricultural Commodity Exchange while remaining "invisible," says Felix Edwards of the Zambia P4P Program. This way, WFP Zambia doesn't distort prices and helps create an alternative market for farmers. WFP also works through its partners, including USAID's PROFIT program, to help farmers and farmer associations meet the quality standards required by the Exchange. As a result, they are preparing Zambian farmers to provide high-quality food aid not only to programs and consumers in their own country, but also potentially to growing regional and international markets.
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We defied the odds on election night -- and together, we sent a clear message that our elected leaders need to put New York City's working families first.
More people voted on the Working Families Party ballot line than in any New York City election in our party's history.
Working Families-endorsed candidates Bill de Blasio and John Liu were overwhelmingly elected to the City's second and third highest offices, where we know they will be strong voices for a more progressive New York.
And with the WFP's help, a new generation of grassroots community organizers joined the City Council -- including Jimmy Van Bramer, Jumaane Williams, Debi Rose, Ydanis Rodriguez, Steve Levin, Brad Lander, Danny Dromm, Fernando Cabrera, and more. We're also thrilled about what the future holds for inspiring candidates who ran strong races solely on the Working Families ballot line, such as Mark Winston-Griffith and Lynn Schulman.
And then there was the Mayor's race.
When the WFP sent out an e-mail message saying that the Thompson-Bloomberg contest would be "a stunningly tight election," political pundits scoffed. Yesterday we proved them wrong.
That's the question the Working Families Party asks when deciding which policies and candidates to support in NYC.
And that's why, on Tuesday, we're backing Bill Thompson for Mayor.
Our current mayor has his own ideas about how New York City should work, but it has become increasingly clear that many New Yorkers are left out of his vision.
After eight years under Mayor Bloomberg, we are concerned that homelessness in the City is actually on the rise, the achievement gap for black and Latino kids hasn't closed, and many development projects have become boondoggles that drain tax dollars and divide communities instead of creating new jobs and affordable homes.
If you're sick, stay home. That's not just commonsense, it's advice public health officials dealing with Swine Flu and other infectious diseases give everyday. But for half the people reading this column, staying home might not be an option.
A shocking new report released last Thursday by the Community Service Society and A Better Balance shows that nearly half of all working New Yorkers (as many as 1.85 million people) - have no paid sick leave on the job. At least 1.3 million New Yorkers have no paid time off whatsoever (no vacation, no personal days).
For them, every cold or flu means having to choose between losing out on the paycheck they need to get by, or putting their health at risk (not to mention the health of their co-workers).
What's worse, the numbers are trending in the wrong direction. According to the report, 69% of "near-poor" workers - those earning just above the federal poverty line - had paid sick days in 2004. Today, just 33% of near-poor workers report being able to take a paid day off work when they get sick.
Finding a job in this recession is tough enough. Sick in the City shows thatfinding one that offers decent benefits is a lot harder.
What if we could help stop global warming, save homeowners on their utility bills, and create thousands of badly needed jobs too?
It's not a far-off fantasy, it's the power of the green economy. And thanks to Albany's leadership, New York is set to become a national (and global) leader in harnessing green technology -- and making sure its benefits are enjoyed by everyone.
The landmark Green Jobs-Green New York bill signed by Governor Paterson this morning in Syracuse, is based on a simple idea: set up a statewide fund to help homeowners and small business owners with the upfront costs of making energy-saving renovations and repairs, like fixing insulation problems or replacing an inefficient boiler. Then, use part of the energy savings to pay the fund back and help finance repairs for the next home or business.
Using the power of energy savings to pay for itself means reaching far more homes and small businesses than current energy programs allow. And taking away the burden of upfront costs means the benefits of green technology will finally be accessible to working families.
Hundreds of Make the Road New York members marched over the Brooklyn Bridge and rallied in Foley Square today in support of a New York City Council bill that would make paid sick days a basic workplace standard.
Guillermo Barerra, a father of two who was fired from a Brooklyn Restaurant for asking permission to go the hospital joined the spirited rally. He told the Daily News about how he was let go: "She told me I was fired and she never wanted to see me again and I should never return...It's terrible. Employees should not be treated this way."
Yesterday, something amazing happened in New York City. John Liu rode a rainbow coalition to win the runoff for Comptroller and in November he'll become the first Asian-American ever elected to citywide office.
And Bill de Blasio, who just 6 months ago was an inspiring but little-known progressive hero, won the contest for Public Advocate against a much better known opponent.
These were hard fought victories. Bill and John spent months crisscrossing the city, talking to people in every borough and nearly every neighborhood about the issues that matter to middle- and working-class people. They each built broad coalitions: neighborhood leaders, union members, tenant activists, advocates for the homeless, and just good old-fashioned civic-minded citizens.
Turnout wasn't high. But those who did come to the polls cared deeply about the future of our city. New York has big challenges ahead. The affordable housing crisis. Rising unemployment. Every day, New Yorkers grapple with a city they love but fear they can no longer afford to call home.
There's a lot of work to do. But today, we have two new progressive leaders who will work to find solutions to the problems our city faces. I know I speak for thousands of Working Families Party members when I say that we are thrilled to have played a part in their victories. We look forward to working with them in the never-ending project to build a society based on democracy, equality and solidarity.
Thanks for all your hard work.
P.S. The press noticed too. The New York Times this morning said: "The Working Families Party, once derided as a rag-tag collection of Brooklyn progressives, is now the pre-eminent political force in New York City politics."
From an email authored by Dan Cantor, WFP Executive Director.
[By Dan Cantor, WFP Executive Director]
Tuesday's election results were simply incredible. Two major citywide upsets. Two major milestones for civil rights and equality in New York City. And seven inspiring, first-time candidates for City Council made it across the finish line.
The lesson is clear: when people organize and act, we can carry on the wave of progressive change that started with Barack Obama's victory last November.
The Working Families Party started this election year with a simple idea. If we have a community organizer in the White House, why not put a few community organizers in City Hall?
So we scoured the city, looking for neighborhood leaders, tenant activists, and even the occasional progressive policy advocate. We found some incredible candidates. And after months of hard work - knocking on thousands of doors, recruiting hundreds of volunteers, after talking to voters day-in, day-out about the issues that matter in their community - we did it.
Here are the highlights:
Progressive champion Bill de Blasio led the pack in a four-way race for Public Advocate. De Blasio will now go head-to-head with Mark Green in a runoff election that's just two weeks away.
John Liu also surged to first place in a crowded field of City Comptroller contestants. He's also bound for a runoff in his attempt to become the first Asian American elected to Citywide office.
On the City Council, there were even more progressive victories for WFP candidates:
Debi Rose won handily to become the first African American ever elected from Staten Island.
In Queens, not one but two WFP-endorsed Council candidates -Danny Dromm and Jimmy Van Bramer - made history as the first openly gay elected officials from the borough. All this on the heels of Julissa Ferreras' City Council win this February to become the first Latina elected in Queens.
Tenant activist and community leader Jumaane Williams scored a major upset, defeating incumbent Councilmember Kendall Stewart in a very tight 6-way race.
Reformer Ydanis Rodriguez blew away the competition in Washington Heights.
And finally, Brad Lander - one of New York City's leading voices on sustainable development - took victory in a hotly-contested race for Bill de Blasio's vacated Brooklyn City Council seat. To his north, the energetic Stephen Levin cruised to victory.
Not every progressive winner was a newcomer - some very worthy D-WFP incumbents were also returned to office. And, one race where WFP stayed out deserves special mention: insurgent Margaret Chin became the first Asian American elected official in Manhattan.
We didn't win every race. Four of our candidates - Richard Aborn, S.J. Jung, Lynn Schulman, and Mark Winston-Griffith - ran great campaigns and came close to pulling off big upsets.
It was a great night, but it's only the beginning. There's lots more work to do, and as always, we'll need your help every step of the way.
At a time when health care, Joe Wilson, Glenn Back and Van Jones are uppermost in so many people's minds, I'd like to do my best and draw some attention back to base level politics: local elections.
It's not easy to generate attention and excitement for the thousands of races for county legislator, town council, highway supervisor, and even mayor. Yet the men and women who aspire to these offices are the very heart and soul of the political class in the neighborhoods, wards and precincts where we live. Progressive change doesn't happen without change at the local level.
For the first time, America has a community organizer in the White House. What if we put a whole slate of community organizers in City Hall?
That's what the Working Families Party is fighting to accomplish this year. After Barack Obama's inspiring victory, the WFP searched throughout NYC for the next generation of City Council candidates who, like our President, got their start organizing in the communities they're now running to represent.
The people we've found will blow you away. Their stories represent the best of New York City. Their values embody everything the Working Families Party stands for.
With the September 15 primary elections just six weeks away, we want you to meet a few of the candidates who make up our "Community Organizer Slate." Electing this new generation of leaders will shift the balance of power in City Government away from real estate moguls and Wall Street tycoons -- and back to working families.
But they need your help to get to City Hall. Read the brief introductions below and click to find out how you can get more involved in their campaigns:
Yesterday, we told you that 5 New York Democrats in the House were blocking President Obama's healthcare reform. The response was incredible. Over 4,000 of you have already signed the petition.
That's not all. We got confirmation that our strategy of holding the Democrats accountable is the right move when a right-wing anti-healthcare reform business group unleashed a pretty over-the-top attack. In a blustery email message, New Yorkers for Growth said:
New York, NY-July 23...New York State's high-spending, left-wing Working Families Party today launched a blistering attack on five New York Democrats who have not signed off on the ever-changing Democratic health care legislation in Washington, according to fiscal reform organization New Yorkers for Growth, which obtained a copy of the Working Families Party (WFP) email missive.
We have to act fast. Five Democratic Members of Congress from New York are putting the brakes on President Obama's historic campaign to reform our broken healthcare system.
Legislation that would expand healthcare coverage for tens of millions of Americans is gaining steam in Congress. But these five New York Representatives are stalling the bill because it pays for reform with a modest tax on the rich.
This is our best chance for healthcare reform in a generation, but now these five Democratic Members of Congress are putting real reform in jeopardy - even though less than 1% of all New Yorkers would be affected by the tax. Healthcare is too important to sit on sidelines.
It's enough to make the average taxpayer's head spin. But here's another outrage:the Daily News reported Monday that Goldman-Sachs could soon receive up to $321 million in city and state taxpayer dollars as part of an incentive program to keep their offices near Ground Zero. That's on top of $1.6 billion the investment firm has already received in tax breaks and publicly backed bonds for its shimmering new downtown headquarters.
Talk about third parties in most places and folks will either snicker or rail about Ralph Nader helping to elect Bush. Talk about the Working Families Party in New York, and you get “Kingmaker.” At least that’s what the New York Post, the mouthpiece of Rupert Murdoch has to say.
The WFP is backing progressive champion Richard Aborn in the hotly contested race to replace legendary Manhattan District Attorney Robert Morgenthau, who’s retiring after 35 years in office. That has the right-wing Post’s editorial page worried:
STATE BLOGS
In many parts sub-Saharan Africa, 60 percent of children come to school in the morning without breakfast, if they attend school at all. Many suffer from health and developmental problems, including stunted growth. Exhausted from hunger and poor nutrition, they often have trouble paying attention and learning during class.
The highways in southern Africa are filled with trucks carrying food aid across the continent. In the past, much of the maize, rice, soy, and other foods loaded onto these trucks came not from African farmers, but from the United States. And while these shipments provided much needed calories to people in need, they also disrupted national and local markets by lowering prices for locally grown food.
It's not a far-off fantasy, it's the power of the green economy. And thanks to Albany's leadership, New York is set to become a national (and global) leader in harnessing green technology -- and making sure its benefits are enjoyed by everyone.
Yesterday, something amazing happened in New York City. John Liu rode a rainbow coalition to win the runoff for Comptroller and in November he'll become the first Asian-American ever elected to citywide office.
Turnout wasn't high. But those who did come to the polls cared deeply about the future of our city. New York has big challenges ahead. The affordable housing crisis. Rising unemployment. Every day, New Yorkers grapple with a city they love but fear they can no longer afford to call home.
