– 500 students to benefitStudents of St. Stephens and West Ruimveldt primary schools after collecting some of the haversacks Not having a meal can severely affect children and cause them to not focus on education. While this scenario is not unique to Guyana, through a Food for the Poor Initiative,Jason Kipnis Indians Jersey, many students are now assured at least one free meal weekly for a year at three city schools.Yesterday, Food for the Poor (Guyana) Incorporated via sponsorship from a US-based Guyanese pilot launched its schools’ feeding programme. This will see 500 underprivileged children from Albouystown, Alexander Village and Sophia,Shaquill Griffin Youth Jersey, benefiting from a hot nutritious meal once weekly at their school.Andrea Benjamin, Food for the Poor (Guyana)? project manager told this publication that the project started two weeks ago and will run for one year at West Ruimveldt, Sophia and St Stephens Primary schools.She revealed that “a Guyanese Pilot residing in the USA saw the project proposal and decided to pick up the tab valued at $3.1M.”“We started this project because we realised that many of the children go to school and do not return when they are released for lunch because there is nothing to eat at home,” Ms Benjamin said.“Though it is not a daily project this is the start,Leonard Fournette Jersey, and with more funding, we hope to make it a daily exercise and to also include other schools.”As part of Food For The Poor (Guyana) projects, fifty students from each of the schools were also issued with haversacks yesterday,Juan Vazquez Mexico Jersey, courtesy of the same donor.Meanwhile, Otis Van Lewin, fund-raising Manager told Kaieteur News that as part of its efforts,Sergio Aguero Jersey, FFTP normally hosts a monthly food and cake sale at the entrance of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation, East Street, while another is held outside N&S Mattai Supermarket on Water Street Georgetown.Food For The Poor also hosts Bingos and Fun Day activities in collaboration with its committees in the various regions. On Saturday there is a mid-stream boat cruise planned. The vessel is scheduled to leave Bartica at 21:00hrs and sails up the Essequibo River,Dorian Johnson Cardinas Jersey, moors up river for a party before returning at 03:00hrs on Sunday. The annual schools’ raffle is slated for June. (Mondale Smith)