The celebration of World Food Day becomes less meaningful when there is minimal focus on the population most affected by food insecurity: children. School feeding programs are a testimony of the significant benefits for these vulnerable individuals.
Often, children facing food insecurity are unable to attend school because their most basic needs are unmet, rendering everything else ineffective. School feeding programs serve as a transformative solution, helping to ensure that every child in Africa can access education, which is vital for their future.
According to the World Bank’s recent Africa Pulse report, climate change is exacerbating an agricultural crisis that is “fueling malnutrition,” putting over 45 million children in Eastern and Southern Africa at risk of health issues, displacement, and educational setbacks.
The report highlights that 7 in 10 children in Sub-Saharan Africa are not benefiting from pre-primary education, contributing to the alarming statistic that 90% of 10-year-olds in the region cannot read simple text.
Additionally, the damning report reveals that fewer than 1.5% of 15- to 24-year-olds are enrolled in formal vocational education programs, compared to approximately 10% in high-income countries.
Wawira Njiru, CEO of the Kenyan non-profit Food for Education, emphasizes the need for African and global leaders to invest in school feeding programs to secure the future of all children in Africa.
She notes that Food for Education has developed a unique and replicable model that currently feeds over 450,000 children daily in Kenya, yet this accounts for only 0.2% of all children facing malnutrition across the continent.
“We know that hungry kids can’t learn, and as an organization, we are changing that one meal at a time. Through our work, we’re investing in children’s future, and the future of Kenya and Africa. But we cannot do it alone,” said Wawira.
The Africa Pulse Report argues that addressing education and skills gaps, among other investment and policy priorities, could help accelerate growth to end poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Wawira stresses that despite the celebration of World Food Day, it is essential for African and world leaders to prioritize school feeding programs to address food insecurity.
“On this World Food Day, I’m calling on leaders in Africa and around the world to commit today to invest in our children by backing programs like Food for Education and, by doing so, ensure our children have the skills necessary for their success and the success of Africa,” said Wawira.
Food for Education Vision
Food for Education mainstreams school feeding programs (SFPs) across Africa by designing blueprints, operating them, and supporting their replication.
They are working every day to create a world where no child has to learn on an empty stomach because they know that SFPs can solve classroom hunger and eliminate barriers to learning.
As champions of the school feeding revolution, they aim to feed one million children a day by 2027 and at least 2 million more children daily in two other African countries by 2030.
“We will not rest until we have created and scaled a uniquely African solution to a global challenge,” a statement on their platform stresses.
Food for Education recently announced that in the next stage of its growth, it will aim to feed 3 million African children daily by 2030, by tripling the number of children served in Kenya and by expanding its network into two more African countries.
Their three-pronged strategy will see them feed 1 million children daily in Kenya by partnering with county governments, along with the national government, to provide affordable, nutritious meals for children and their families. This will come alongside work with two additional African countries to feed 2 million more children daily.
They seek to achieve this by leveraging their experience and expertise in linking local supply chains (smallholder farmers and aggregators) and employing parents and communities in all operations. They are currently in the process of securing partners in their target countries.
Food for Education will also share its knowledge base through a Center of Excellence, which aims to teach others who want to start and scale school feeding programs in their communities.