The United States Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service is pleased to announce that Burkina Faso is among the countries selected as a 2018 McGovern-Dole Priority Country. Please see USDA’s McGovern-Dole web page for more information. Applications are due to USDA Friday, March 30, 2018. Please see the FY 2018 McGovern Dole Notice of Funding Opportunity web page for application instructions.

The McGovern–Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program helps support education, child development and food security in low-income, food-deficit countries around the globe. The program provides for the donation of U.S. agricultural commodities, as well as financial and technical assistance, to support school feeding and maternal and child nutrition projects.

The key objective of the McGovern-Dole Program is to reduce hunger and improve literacy and primary education, especially for girls. By providing school meals, teacher training and related support, McGovern-Dole projects help boost school enrollment and academic performance. At the same time, the program also focuses on improving children’s health and learning capacity before they enter school by offering nutrition programs for pregnant and nursing women, infants and pre-schoolers. Sustainability is an important aspect of the McGovern-Dole Program. FAS and its partner organizations work to ensure that the communities served by the program can ultimately continue the sponsored activities on their own or with support from other sources such as the host government or local community.

Please direct all inquiries to USDA FAS Food Assistance Division by emailing ppded@fas.usda.gov or calling +1-202-720-4221.