Serving meals in schools is one of the most effective ways to fight child hunger, alleviate poverty and promote education ["A Meal and a Chance to Learn," news story, April 28]. We have been working together for more than 40 years to promote such programs, including the McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program, which provides school meals to hungry children in the poorest countries.
When school meals are offered, enrollment and attendance rates increase significantly, particularly for girls. Students also stay in school longer, and their academic performance improves.
School feeding programs enjoy broad bipartisan support even in the most partisan of times. Recognizing their effectiveness, President Bush requested increased funding for global school feeding in his fiscal 2006 budget request.
Organizations such as the United Nations World Food Program can feed a child in school for 19 cents a day, or $34 a school year. With 300 million hungry children in the world -- more than 100 million of them out of school -- this is an investment worth making.
ROBERT DOLE
Washington
GEORGE McGOVERN
Mitchell, S.D.
The writers, both former U.S. senators, are board members of Friends of The World Food Program.
