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Bhutan Development |
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Food Programme in Bhutan |
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End
Hunger - Walk the World 2008
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When
thousands of people take to the streets in Denmark, it will translate into
feeding more mouths of school-going children in Bhutan.
In
support of the World Food Programme's (WFP) campaign "Fight
Hunger, Walk the World", thousands of people will walk for a few
kilometres in eight cities of Denmark to raise funds and support WFP's
school-feeding programme in Bhutan.
WFP's
country director, Mr Leo van der Velden, said that, although education
was a success story in Bhutan, there are still a number of dzongkhags where
child enrolment in school was below average. "The money raised in Denmark
will be used in these remote dzongkags to support and increase the enrolment
and attendance," he said.
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| The
main event would be a five-kilometre walk where participants will wear
T-shirts with "Stop Hunger" inscribed. The event will take place in eight
cities around Denmark, but there will be a different event in each city
besides the walk. A famous chef in Copenhagen will cook Bhutanese dishes
for the participants, who will pay about Nu 700 to participate. The Bhutanese
Friendship Association will organize an exhibition on Bhutan and there
will also be an art lesson for children. |
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WFP
assistance to Bhutan's school-feeding programme supports the government
effort to improve access to education, particularly for children from rural,
remote, and food insecure areas.
"The
funds raised in Denmark will be used to encourage the last percentage of
students to come to schools so that, by 2015, there will be education for
all in Bhutan," said the country director.
Mr
Velden, who was in Bhutan as a WFP programme officer from 1996 to 1999,
said that the rate of enrolment in Bhutan has increased from about 54 percent
10 year ago to 84 percent today. "Education in Bhutan is a success story
and, in principle, we're slowly phasing out our support and handing over
very successfully to the government," he said. "We'll complete the handing
over by 2015."
Mr
Velden said that WFP still has seven years in Bhutan and will see what
exactly their assistance to Bhutan would be. "Bhutan, of course, is growing
very fast, the economy is booming, there are more roads, more houses, more
cars but, in general, I think what I see is happy people. I think the whole
idea of Gross National Happiness is really taken care of by the government
and by the people themselves," he said.
"In
due time the government will have enough funds to fund the school feeding
as well. I think the WFP assistance can be completely cut off by 2015,
but we will see how things develop."
The
event in Denmark is organized by WFP Nordic office in Copenhagen, together
with its main sponsor TNT, partners with the help of a programme officer
from Bhutan, who is temporarily in Copenhagen..
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| Contributed
by Gyeltshen, KUENSEL, Bhutan's National Newspaper, June 2008 |
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