Every year on the 1st of March, the World Food Programme (WFP), the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education (MBSSE), the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (MAFS) and partners celebrate the 9th Africa Day of School Feeding – a moment to underscore the transformative power of Home-Grown school feeding programmes. As an innovative approach to school feeding, Home-Grown school feeding connects schools to small-holder farmers, thus guaranteeing food producers a predictable market while providing a stable supply of fresh, nutritious, and local foods to school children.
Sharing his experience during this year’s celebration, Musa Sesay, a pupil of the Roman Catholic Primary School Zimmi, expressed gratitude for the programme, highlighting how it has positively impacted his education. “I can focus better in class now that I don’t have to worry about being hungry,” he said.
Kadiatu Sheriff, a grade 4 pupil, echoed similar sentiments, stating that the school feeding program has not only provided her with enough food during the school day but has also generated income for her parents, enabling them to support her education.
The head teacher of the school, Abu Sheriff, emphasized the significant increase in enrolment since the inception of the school feeding programme. He noted that enrolment has surged from 350 to over 700 students, attributing the rise to the improved academic performance and the assurance of a meal during the school day. Sheriff also highlighted a decline in students leaving during lunchtime, leading to a notable improvement in academic outcomes, with a 100 percent pass rate in external exams.
Yvonne Forsen, WFP Country Director emphasized the multifaceted benefits of school feeding, citing a cost-benefit analysis conducted in collaboration with Harvard University. According to Forsen, every dollar invested in the programme yields a return of 14 dollars. She underscored the programme’s role as a widespread social safety net which in the last school year benefitted over 700,000 children across Sierra Leone.
With plans to expand the Home-grown initiative, WFP aims to reach over 83,000 children of its 240,000 beneficiaries in vulnerable and food-insecure regions. Collaborating with smallholder farmers, the programme aims to increase rice procurement from 260 metric tons in 2023 to 1,200 metric tons in 2024. WFP also used this occasion to launch the home-grown school feeding logo which will appear on all bags containing food produced in Sierra Leone by small holder farmers. It is important for communities to also see that the food they produce is used to feed their children.
Sagane Thiaw, Country Director of the child-focused organization World Vision International Sierra Leone mentioned the complementary contribution of his organization to the school feeding programme through WASH interventions, adding that no organization alone can end child hunger.
It could be recalled that in February 2024, WFP and World Vision International had signed a memorandum of understanding to bring together school feeding and Water, Hygiene and Sanitation to improve the nutrition of primary school children.
Sengbe Roger Koker, Director of the School Feeding Secretariat, spoke about the government’s commitment to feed 800,000 children across Sierra Leone through school feeding programme.
The Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Theresa T. Dick, on her part encouraged farmers to double their food production so that the Feed Salone initiative can be realised.
A joint visit to the farm site which supplies the school with rice and vegetables concluded the program.
