Jackie Visits Farmers and Students in Ethiopia

Farmers and students came to Hanja Chefa primary school on Friday 21 March 2014 to meet Jackie Chan where Jackie talked to farmers about improvement of the crops. The water bottle shows the quality of the water locally.

Hanja Chefa primary school was established in 2003 with initially 340 students (24% girls). Since the start of the school feeding programs, the number of school children has increased to 1,334 (51% girls). Attendance reached 95 percent in 2012 and has drop-out rates of 7% for girls and 9% for boys. These rates are lower than the national standards of 14.6% for girls and 13% for boys.

The project provides an array of complimentary support to small-scale farmers and cooperative unions. Food-security interventions are boosting access to some basic financial services, including bank loans, which were previously unavailable to agricultural cooperative unions and their members. Increased access to those services is, in turn, helping the farmers build a more food-secure future for themselves and their families.

Photo credit: ©FAO/Petterik Wiggers. Copright ©FAO.

SOURCE: FAO NEWS ON FLIKR