The HATUTAN program (Hahán ne’ebé Atu fó Tulun ho Nutrisaun no Edukasaun) or “Food to Support Nutrition and Education” in English) is a five-year initiative to build a partnership between schools and their communities to improve literacy, learning, health and nutrition for children and adults in Timor-Leste. Working in partnership with the Government of Timor-Leste (GOTL) and key development stakeholders, the HATUTAN program focuses on two strategic objectives: (1): Improved literacy of School-Aged Children, and (2): Increased Use of Health, Nutrition and Dietary Practices. The HATUTAN program is funded by the US Government through the Foreign Agricultural Service of United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) under the McGovern Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program. The Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports is the lead government of Timor-Leste (GOTL) partner, in collaboration with the Ministries of Health (MOH), State Administration (MSA) and Agriculture and Fisheries (MAF). The program is implemented by a consortium led by CARE International in Timor-Leste together with Mercy Corps and WaterAid.
The program will work in four municipalities namely: Ainaro, Ermera, Liquica and Manatuto. Support for the School Feeding Program will operate at the national and municipal level and in all the schools covered by the GOTL School Feeding Program in the four municipalities (estimated at 440 schools). The priority is to support the government SFP to fully operate in all basic education and preschools throughout the school year as per plan. As an interim measure, however, the program will import USDA provided food commodities of fortified rice, pinto beans and fortified vegetable oil to the estimated 90,000 preschool and primary-aged children in
440 schools in the first trimester of school years 2020-2022.1