Enspice Children’s Foundation launches new partnership with Cooperazione Paesi Emergenti (COPE)

Enspice Children’s Foundation visits new partner, COPE, in Madagascar
to improve and further develop a school lunch program to combat malnutrition. 

The partnership between ECF and COPE, an Italian based nonprofit running a school in Madagascar, launched in January 2019. With a mission to prevent and treat childhood malnutrition in the most vulnerable regions of the world, ECF began offering COPE financial assistance to augment the nutrition program it runs at the Mangafaly School in Ambanja, Madagascar.

“We started by funding COPE’s nutrition program, and we’ve already seen tremendous benefits,” ECF Director of Development Amanda Surman said. “The children now have fruit instead of crackers for snack time, and their meal portions and doctors’ visits have doubled.” 

The foundation visited COPE’s nutrition program at the school in May 2019. A graduate from Columbia University’s Institute of Human Nutrition, Surman observed the program and collected data to bring back to ECF’s team of doctors and dietitians.

“We visited to assess the meal program to ensure that is includes all the essential
nutrients children need to grow and develop properly,” Surman said. “Our team of
dietitians and physicians will review the meals and make recommendations for
improvement. We will work together with COPE to make the best and most realistic
modifications.” 

Suggestions will include how COPE can implement micronutrient fortification and
dietary diversification, which will help treat and prevent malnutrition for the students.

“We’re thrilled at how much progress we’ve already seen with this partnership and we’re excited to see how much more we can accomplish together,” Surman said.

Formed in 2016, ECF hopes to play a part in ending childhood malnutrition through
creating informed, empowered and sustainable communities. ECF began its work in
Madagascar as stunting rates are among the highest globally, with about 50% of
children stunted due to undernutrition. Partnerships with local organizations, such as
COPE, allow ECF to implement and fund nutrition programs in schools, orphanages and villages with supervision.

The Enspice Children’s Foundation is a fully licensed 501(c)(3) non-profit created to
combat malnutrition, micronutrient deficiencies, and hunger in vulnerable regions of the world.