School Health & Nutrition
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Overview
Poor health and malnutrition are critical underlying factors for low school enrollment, absenteeism, poor classroom performance, and early school dropout. Malnutrition weakens cognitive development and energy levels, compounding the challenges children face to learn effectively and succeed in school and beyond. The impact of hunger on education is far-reaching, creating a cycle of disadvantage that affects students, families, and entire communities.
Impact
In the schools where CRS works, our goal is to create a healthy learning environment, with an understanding that learning outcomes are affected by a child’s holistic health and well-being. CRS, with the generous support from USDA’s McGovern Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition program, partners with national and sub-national ministries of education, communities, schools, and local leaders to reduce hunger, address food security and nutrition challenges, improve literacy, and address barriers to children’s enrollment, attendance, and learning. This approach strategically aligns school feeding programs with farming communities and education that guarantees increased enrollment and attendance in school, especially for girls, and particularly for at-risk and undernourished children, and offsets the costs for families and food security challenges. Currently, CRS’ school health and nutrition programs reach over 950,000 pre-primary and primary school children in 14 countries.
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Impact Stories
Explore Our Projects

Welcoming Our Holy Father with Joy and Hope
Catholic Relief Services warmly welcomes our new Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, with grateful and joyful hearts.
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Stephen Ucembe: A Story of Resilience
The founder of the Kenya Society of Care Leavers, Stephen Ucembe survived life in an orphanage where hunger, isolation, and abuse were rampant.
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Our Current Prayer
As Catholics, we recognize that prayer is of the utmost importance. In our mission to act with the Church to serve people around the world, we begin with prayer.
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Improving Livestock Farming in Central African Republic
I Londo I Mai is a 24-month project that aims to strengthen the capacity of vulnerable and conflict-affected families and improve their economic resilience in the northwest of the Central African Republic.
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Transforming Livelihoods Across Generations
CRS focuses on high-value crops that grow in harmony with native tree populations found only in the rainforests of Madagascar.
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Niger Youth Program Launches Work Opportunities
The project helps budding entrepreneurs learn skills as they build their own businesses and increase their income.
Read Story arrow_right_altA Win-Win for American Farmers and School Children in Laos
How the USDA's McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program benefits the U.S. and Laos.
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Raising the Score in Early Childhood Development
Religious sisters expand outreach to children in Kenya, Malawi and Zambia.
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