Fundación Terra and Catholic Relief Services (CRS) have entered into a significant collaborative agreement to address two key challenges in the education sector in the La Paz department: improvement in academic performance and food insecurity. This collaboration aims to strengthen the Tutorship Scholarship program and provide supplementary meals through the support of the International McGovern-Dole Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program.

The International McGovern-Dole Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program, executed by Catholic Relief Services (CRS) and funded by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), has been in operation since 2013. Its purpose is to counteract nutritional and educational deficiencies among boys and girls in public schools across the 17 municipalities of Intibucá. Starting from 2021, the program has expanded its coverage to the La Paz department.

Within the framework of this agreement, Fundación Terra and CRS will jointly participate in enrollment campaigns to promote the enrollment and retention of children in educational centers.

The International McGovern-Dole Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program (MGD) will provide comprehensive school feeding support to the eleven centers prioritized by Fundación Terra. This includes a school snack for 180 days, training for School Feeding Committees, teachers, and directors in the new Spanish curriculum (USAID/SEDUC), incorporating academic, social, and emotional learning.

Fundación Terra will benefit 11 educational centers with the Tutorship Scholarship Program, providing reinforcement in Spanish and mathematics to 110 academically excellent children and young people. Additionally, support will be extended to teachers in addressing students with low academic performance, aiming to enhance students' competencies in these subjects and contribute to addressing the setbacks in the national education system resulting from the pandemic.

Fredy Nasser, the Executive President of the Fundación Terra, expressed gratitude, stating, "I appreciate the humanitarian organization Catholic Relief Services for trusting in the Terra Foundation. We are aware that we must address this food crisis in a coordinated and timely manner for the well-being of our children, who are in a process of growth and development of their capacities. They are the future, and we owe them the opportunity for fulfilling lives as citizens contributing to the country's development."

Through this partnership, Fundación Terra continues to contribute to the country's development, recognizing the critical issues of children's neglect, low academic performance, and dropout rates due to lack of nutrition. Together with CRS, they will provide nutrition support to students in educational centers located in the municipalities of La Paz, Cane, and San Pedro de Tutule, with a projection to expand the benefits to other educational centers in La Paz through the Tutorship Scholarship program.