Hot Lunch Program is Reinstated After Four Years

From the time SOPUDEP School opened its doors in 2002 and up until 2004, students and staff had enjoyed a government subsidized hot lunch program. This program fed many people their only meal of the day. That changed when democratically-elected President Jean-Bertrand Aristide was kidnapped by US and Canadian forces in the morning of February 29th. Within months, the school was facing threats from unelected officials to shut SOPUDEP School down. Due to international support from solidarity groups and grassroots journalists the school was allowed to remain open, although government funding would be cut entirely, forcing the demise of the much needed hot lunch program.

The number of people who can't afford to eat in Haiti has risen steadily in the last few years. In many parts of the country people have taken to eating mud pies to stave off hunger pangs. People are dying of hunger every day. As of writing this SOPUDEP School Director and Founder Rea Dol has informed me that three children in the next township were discovered dead from starvation. It shows no signs of getting better as global big business gets a tighter grip on the country every day.

As dire as this seems, on March 10th, 2008, with long term commitments of support the hot lunch program has been resurrected. "This could not have come at a better time," Rea wrote, "Many children's and families' lives have been saved with the reintroduction of this program. The children come to school singing every day because of this!"