The launch of the universalisation of the “Zero Hunger” school lunch program, which will benefit more than 980,000 students, took place this Tuesday at the República de Guatemala school in the Yaguarón district. “My dream has come true, from today on, no child in Paraguay will go hungry,” said President Santiago Peña.
With universalisation, the program that started last year in 90 priority districts is now being extended to all 263 districts in the country, providing free school meals including breakfast, lunch and snacks to more than 980,000 children and young people who attend one of the 7,036 educational institutions included.
“This program is not Santi’s, it is not the government’s, it is for all Paraguayans and all Paraguayans must take care of it, because if this program is successful, Paraguay will change, Paraguay will progress,” said the President of the Republic excitedly at the launching ceremony.
In addition to ensuring that school-age children have the conditions to learn and develop healthily, the “Zero Hunger” program also allows families to save a significant amount of approximately 350,000 guaraníes per child per month (approximately US$45).
Opportunities in free school meals for small producers
The free school meals program is also expected to have a positive impact on the economy of the communities, generating income for more than 40,000 people who will work directly in the program. It is estimated that indirectly, around 60,000 jobs will be generated by ‘Hambre Cero’, or ‘Zero Hunger’ in English.
“This is changing the lives of children, but also of parents. This is allowing our farmers to have a market for their products, and for what is produced in the fields to be on the plates of our children,” said President Peña.
He asked Paraguayans to dream big and stressed the importance of teamwork to achieve goals. “For me this is a dream come true, I dreamed of a Paraguay where children do not go hungry, and today that Paraguay is here among us,” he said.
He added that “the success of this program is built on teamwork, and that team is Paraguay.”
