FFTP Marks World Food Day With a Campaign to Feed Students in Haiti and Support Local Farmers

COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (Oct. 15, 2026) – For Manise, a mother living in northern Haiti, Food For The Poor’s (FFTP) innovative school-based feeding program, SHINE, is giving her 8-year-old daughter, Watchuiska, the nutrition she needs to focus on her studies.

“When they go to school, they learn,” Manise said. “That gives them the chance to become someone in the future.”

To help sustain and expand the program, known as SHINE (Strengthening Hope through Inclusion, Nutrition, and Education), FFTP is marking World Food Day with “Rise & Shine,” a one-day digital fundraising campaign on Friday, Oct. 16.

This is the second consecutive year for the campaign, which aims to raise $620,000 for 13,853 children in 29 schools in northern Haiti. As an added incentive, a generous anonymous donor has pledged to match all gifts up to $620,000 through midnight on Oct. 16, doubling the impact of each donation.

Observed every year on Oct. 16, World Food Day was created by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations to promote worldwide awareness and action for those affected by hunger. In Haiti, nearly 2.9 million children – about one in every four – face high levels of food insecurity, including more than 1 million experiencing critical levels of hunger.

“When children start the school day hungry, they struggle to concentrate and focus, their performance suffers, and they can be restless in class. The SHINE program reflects what happens when they receive the nourishment they need to thrive,” said FFTP President/CEO Ed Raine. “Because of our generous donors, children begin each school day with a wholesome breakfast and the opportunity to learn without the distraction of hunger. That simple meal helps open the door to brighter futures and greater possibilities.”

Through the Rise & Shine match on World Food Day, FFTP donors can make a tangible impact on food insecurity among children in northern Haiti:

• • $20 will be matched to provide a year of breakfasts for one student
• • $55 will be matched to feed a classroom of an estimated 25 students for a month
• • $500 will be matched to feed a classroom of students for a year
• • $6,900 will be matched to feed an entire school for a year

Launched in October 2024, SHINE provides school-based nutrition while also supporting local food production in Haiti. The charity’s goal is to continue the momentum.

Each child receives a simple breakfast sandwich made with cassava bread and peanut butter. The meal is designed to be nutritious, practical and locally sourced. SHINE sources cassava bread from 600 small farms across six communities in Haiti’s North and Northwest, helping to strengthen local agriculture and livelihoods. Locally sourced peanut butter supports Haitian peanut farmers through training, fair contracts and stable prices. SHINE creates more than 100 jobs, many filled by women in the cassava processing sites, and directly benefits more than 700 families.

“The beauty of this program is that it touches so many people in different aspects of their lives,” Raine said. “It nourishes a child, helps that child learn and offers real economic support for area farmers and local communities.”

The SHINE program supports Hunger Relief & Nutrition, one of Food For The Poor’s 10 core areas focused on sustainable change. It is made possible through the support of a major donor and in collaboration with local partners, Acceso and Mèt Fèy Vèt.

The program is operating in northern Haiti, where conditions have allowed FFTP and its local partners to continue this work. FFTP and its partners continue to monitor conditions and adjust operations as needed.

For Watchuiska, SHINE provides a daily breakfast, and her mom sees the impact it’s making every day.

“She’s always excited because when she comes home, she tells me she ate cassava that day,” Manise said. “She’s happy, she likes it and it really does something for her.”

To support the FFTP World Food Day Rise & Shine campaign, visit www.foodforthepoor.org/worldfoodday26.

About Food For The Poor

Food For The Poor, one of the largest international relief and development organizations in the United States, is committed to facilitating paths out of poverty and transforming lives. As an interdenominational Christian ministry, we help families across Latin America and the Caribbean. Our efforts span urgent humanitarian relief and long-term development – from emergency aid and hunger alleviation to education, housing, and economic empowerment. We follow a distinctive approach that integrates faith, multi-sector strategies, and trusted partnerships. Whenever possible, we strive to work at the community level, partnering with local leaders and residents to co-create sustainable solutions that address the multi-dimensional nature of poverty. For more information, please visit foodforthepoor.org.

Ernestine Williams
Communications
305-321-7342
[email protected]