Transcript - together for child vitality video

Rene McGuffin, Programme Adviser for the World Food Programme, Kenya

"One of the aims of the world food programme is to feed hungry school children in the schools in the developing world. One of the great benefits of WFP school meals which Unilever is supporting is that it gets the children into the classes and gives them an opportunity for their future.

"In a lot of these sorts of environments and communities these parents can't afford three meals a day. They’re struggling to find food to put on the table, and they might keep their children at home to help them with domestic chores. But with the school meals there's an incentive for the parents. They send them to school, they get fed, and they actually can create a brighter future for themselves."

Headmistress, Kaloleni Primary School, Nairobi, Kenya

"Before the programme, children used to go hungry. teachers would see the children aren't concentrating, some of them fall asleep in class. And all that has changed now we have the feeding programme."

Text:

Kaloleni Primary School is one of the many schools that benefit from this partnership. This is their story.

Alan Jope, Unilever Group Vice President Spreads & Dressings

"Today we're in Kaloleni Primary School in Nairobi, Kenya, seeing the WFP and Unilever school-feeding partnership in action. And it's been a very stirring experience I must say."

Turns to the Headmistress:

"And is it true that some of the kids, the only meals they will get are the meals they get here?"

Headmistress:

"Yes, nutrition is that bad."

Alan Jope:

"And it's getting worse as food prices go up?"

Headmistress:

"Yes, it's getting worse."

Alan Jope:

"This partnership is part of Unilever's mission of doing well by doing good. And we're seeing the benefit in form of obviously the benefit to the kids in school feeding, but we're linking that to cause-related marketing programmes on the family goodness brand..."

Alan Jope:

Adressing the Headmistress:

"So this is the kitchen? You have two cookers - but you need a third one. And I see we have some hungry customers hanging around outside. So we're just about ready for lunchtime."

Headmistress:

Talking to the camera:

"Since the feeding programme started the attendance has gone up, children have a higher concentration span, they're happy, they're healthy, and they look brighter. I think they're happy about the food."

Alan Jope:

Points to figures on a blackboard and asks the Headmistress:

"What are these rice, pulses and vegetable oils?"

Headmistress:

"That’s 154kg of rice, pulses 41kg."

Alan Jope:

"That was what was used to prepare the food today?"

Headmistress:

"Yes"

Alan Jope:

Speaking to camera:

"An additional benefit is the benefit of science, both the ability of Unilever to contribute our scientific understanding of nutrition to the kids in the school feeing programme and to WFP - but also we're learning about micro-nutrient deficiency in the diet as well as different patterns of macro-nutrient deficiencies in different parts of the world where we're doing the programme."

Rene McGuffin:

"One of the big challenges with working with micro-nutrient deficiencies is that you need to get these nutrients into the diet of these children who might only be eating the one meal you provide at school. So Unilever is looking at modifying the margarine product to make it nutrient-dense."

Alan Jope:

"This partnership is really brought to life through the employee engagement where we're doing 'Walks for World Hunger' and really involving people in fundraising and awareness-raising in the programme. And secondarily we’re doing secondments of Unilever experts into WFP who can bring unique knowledge and skills. Anyone who can sign up and participate should - it's a fantastic programme."

Headmistress:

"This is the only meal the children get in a day. So it's had an impact on them. It’s also a poor community - most parents do not work. So the children look forward to coming to school because they know know they'll have a meal."