Ministry of Gender Equality and Family Welfare partners with FoodWise to support vulnerable communities

The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family Welfare signed, on Thursday 30 April 2026 at Mahebourg Social Welfare Centre, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the non-governmental organisation, FoodWise, to strengthen efforts aimed at improving access to food aid for vulnerable populations. Through this initiative, the Ministry is providing logistical support by making the parking spaces at its social welfare centres available to FoodWise as distribution points.

The signatories were the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family Welfare, Mr Jean Daniel Philippe Labonne, and the General Manager of FoodWise, Ms Lotilde Charpy.

Speaking on behalf of the Minister of Gender Equality and Family Welfare, Mrs Marie Arianne Navarre-Marie, the Permanent Secretary highlighted the importance of this collaborative endeavour. “This partnership reflects our common will, based on solidarity, responsibility, and tangible action, and illustrates what we can achieve when public institutions and civil society organisations come together with a shared objective: protecting the most vulnerable among us,” stated Mr Labonne.

According to the Permanent Secretary, the Ministry remains fully committed to its mission namely the welfare of women, children, and families, underlining that the decision to provide social centre spaces for food distribution is a strategic one. He pointed out that while the Ministry will not be directly involved in food distribution, the spaces provided will be available at designated times to enable FoodWise to organise its operations effectively. He added that these locations are already deeply embedded within local communities and well known to families, making them ideal hubs for this vital service.

In addition to supporting food distribution, through the MoU, the Home Economics Unit of the Ministry and FoodWise will continue to collaborate to organise sensitisation programmes aimed at promoting sustainable practices, raising awareness around responsible food management and encouraging behavioural change across all segments of society.

04 May 2026

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Topics: Gender