[{"bbox": [96, 152, 1133, 208], "category": "Text", "text": "increase its coverage recognizing that this programme may have a significant impact in poverty reduction among children, who are currently a particularly vulnerable group to poverty”."}, {"bbox": [96, 218, 1133, 379], "category": "Text", "text": "On the 1st of September 2021, the Council of Ministers approved a Decree-Law for the \"creation of subsidies for pregnancy and children, collectively known as Bolsa da Mãe – Jerasaun Foun\" and an amendment to Decree-Law 18/2012 of 4 April, with the intent to reform the Bolsa da Mãe and increase its impact on poverty reduction and human capital. The Bolsa da Mãe – Jerasaun Foun 'includes two additional benefits, which provide social support during pregnancy and early childhood, improve maternal and child health and nutrition, promote economic inclusion and foster the local economy'⁴."}, {"bbox": [96, 388, 1133, 550], "category": "Text", "text": "Currently the Bolsa da Mae - Jerasaun Foun (BdM-JF) Programme is being implemented in the municipalities of Ainaro, Bobonaro and Oecusse. The plan of the Government is to have it extended to all municipalities by 2025. The programme is **universal, and it targets pregnant women and children.** Since cash has proved to be the most effective type of transfer for social assistance programmes in Timor Leste,⁵⁶ pregnant women receive USD 15 per month, and caregivers receive USD 20 per month per child. An additional USD 10 per month is provided if a child has a disability. People register at health clinics, encouraging them to seek maternal and child health care."}, {"bbox": [96, 560, 1133, 643], "category": "Text", "text": "Early childhood is the most vulnerable stage of the human life cycle. The prevalence of stunting (chronic under nutrition) and wasting (acute under nutrition) indicates the high level of vulnerability that children in early childhood are exposed to."}, {"bbox": [96, 652, 1133, 788], "category": "Text", "text": "**The School Feeding Programme (SFP)** in Timor Leste has been implemented since 2005 as part of WFP operations and targeted students from grade 1 to 6. The Government through the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport (MoEYS) took over the programme in 2011. The Government is now implementing the SFP in all 14 municipalities, reaching school age children of 6-14 years old enrolled in pre-schools (320,000 children – 24% of total population age from 4 to 5) and primary schools (grades 1-9)."}, {"bbox": [96, 798, 1133, 906], "category": "Text", "text": "The primary objectives of the programme are to ensure students' access to healthy nutritious diets and providing nutrition education in schools. The programme provides one hot cooked meal every day to each student who attends the school. The Government of Timor Leste considers the SFP as a key priority and has reinstated its commitment by the Prime Minister signing the School Meal Coalition in July 2021."}, {"bbox": [96, 916, 1133, 1052], "category": "Text", "text": "A quality education, combined with a guaranteed package of health and nutrition interventions at school, such as school feeding, and Nutrition education contributes to child and adolescent development and build human capital. School Feeding Programme can help get children into school, increasing enrolment and reducing absenteeism.⁷ It can also contribute to their learning by avoiding hunger and enhancing cognitive abilities. The benefits are especially relevant for the poorest and most disadvantaged children."}, {"bbox": [96, 1061, 1133, 1329], "category": "Text", "text": "The National Health Sector Nutrition Strategic Plan (NHSNSP) for 2022-2026 recognizes the importance of nutrition education, community mobilisation and social behaviour change communication, and positive behaviour change (Strategy 4 of the NHSNSP). \"Human behaviour is at the core of poor nutrition. All the immediate and underlying causes of malnutrition are linked to the behaviours of individuals and their household members⁸. Therefore, improvements in nutrition are not possible without broad, widespread changes in the everyday behaviours of people and population\".⁹ The Ministry of Health, through the Partnership for Improving Nutrition in Timor Leste (PINTL), an EU financed project, and with the support of UNICEF, is scaling up the **Mother Support Groups model** (MSG) in 14 municipalities. MSGs target women, children, and their families, and promote social and behavioural changes in nutrition, maternal, new-born, and child health, as well as hygiene and sanitation in their respective communities."}, {"bbox": [86, 1452, 743, 1477], "category": "Footnote", "text": "⁴ Bolsa da Mãe – Jerasaun Foun, Programme Profile. Technical Note, # 2-2021"}, {"bbox": [86, 1477, 1140, 1524], "category": "Footnote", "text": "⁵ Challenges and Ways Forward to Extend Social Protection to All in Timor Leste Assessment-Based National Dialogue report – ILO, MSS, 2018"}, {"bbox": [86, 1524, 860, 1549], "category": "Footnote", "text": "⁶ Policy Note - Assessing the Bolsa da Mãe Benefit Structure1A Preliminary Analysis – June"}, {"bbox": [86, 1549, 1018, 1574], "category": "Footnote", "text": "⁷ School Feeding Programme, Study report, HATUTAN education and Nutrition Programme, Care International"}, {"bbox": [86, 1574, 1120, 1622], "category": "Footnote", "text": "⁸ USAID. 2017. Multi-Sectoral Nutrition Strategy 2014–2025 Technical Guidance Brief: Effective At-Scale Nutrition Social and Behavior Change Communication. Washington, DC: U.S. Agency for International Development."}, {"bbox": [86, 1622, 751, 1646], "category": "Footnote", "text": "⁹ The National Health Sector Nutrition Strategic Plan (NHSNSP) for 2022-2026"}, {"bbox": [1038, 1681, 1143, 1706], "category": "Page-footer", "text": "Page 5 of 23"}]