The Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service awarded Counterpart International, Inc., a $40 million cooperative agreement on September 23, 2025, under the McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program (CFDA 10.608) to implement school meals, teacher training, and nutrition support activities in Benin through September 30, 2031.
The program delivers preschool and school food for education initiatives, maternal and infant nutrition services for pregnant women, nursing mothers, and children age five and younger, and related literacy and primary education support, with particular focus on girls. Counterpart International is a Washington, DC-based nonprofit that specializes in bilateral development and agricultural programming for federal agencies, holding 136 active federal awards concentrated in food-security and agricultural-development initiatives across Africa, Latin America, the Middle East, and Asia.