Feeding the Children
Adriano Kanyesigye and his friends walk up to 5 miles each day to attend a school where they are served a free meal. It’s a journey that pupils in Karamoja in northeast Uganda willingly make to avoid starvation.
“I’m really grateful that my kids have at least one meal a day when they go to school, rather than staying home where food is scarce,” Anisha Kanyesigye told ChinAfrica. “At home, we have nothing to eat. Sometimes we boil sorghum or eat adaka - a residue from locally brewed alcohol.”
The 30-year-old resident of Karamoja explained that the region is struggling with hunger, as the local population is severely impacted by a food crisis caused by drought and pests.
Every year, more than 1,000 children under 5, from a population of 22,740, are referred to the Moroto Referral Hospital with severe malnutrition, according to hospital statistics for the financial year 2022/2023.
Kanyesigye is relieved that the introduction of the School Meal Programme has allowed her child to benefit not only from a free meal, but also from free education at Moroto Primary School.
As lunchtime approaches in Kotido District, children in one of its schools stand on the grass holding their plates, eagerly awaiting their meal - a poignant image of human suffering. Many children are accompanied by their siblings, as this is the only way to escape hunger.
“I feel bad knowing the food may not be enough for all of us. But at least I can share with my baby sister. Having a decent meal at home is nearly impossible,” said Natalie Ssenkubuge, who brought her two-year-old sister along.
Hunger crisis
Karamoja is predominantly a pastoralist region. The rainy season of 2024, between March and July, was the driest on record since 1981, leading to droughts that decimated crops and livestock, and caused water shortages. Seasonal pests and diseases further exacerbated the crisis.
As government-funded schools become overcrowded with non-learners scrambling for food and porridge meant for students, Karamoja is witnessing high dropout rates at the primary level and a decline in secondary school enrolments, partly due to the food shortage.
“We know that without enough food, children cannot concentrate. But we can’t turn non-learners away to starve and possibly die,” said Emmanuel Lotuke, a teacher at a primary school in Moroto, one of Karamoja’s nine districts hardest hit by hunger.
School meals
In 2020, the African Union recognised school feeding as a strategy for sustainable development across the continent. Uganda has since worked to develop a national school feeding programme aligned with its Vision 2040 and National Development Plan.
“We will continue to work together to overcome barriers to education by combining quality education with nutrition interventions,” said Uganda’s State Minister for Education and Sports Joyce Kaducu during a Chinese food-aid handover ceremony in Kampala.
Kaducu emphasised that the school meals programme is crucial for nourishing the next generation, and stressed the need to address obstacles to both food delivery and quality education.
She reiterated the government’s commitment to developing a national school feeding policy by 2025 and creating a dedicated budget line in the national budget, with funds allocated to the school meals programme starting in the 2025/2026 financial year.
Chinese assistance
In response to the food crisis, China has donated 1,480 tonnes of beans and maize, along with 152 tonnes of cooking oil worth $2 million through the UN World Food Programme (WFP). This donation has benefitted 229,000 children in schools across Karamoja.
“This donation is part of our rapid response to the Ugandan government’s urgent request to address food security in Karamoja,” said Chinese Ambassador to Uganda Zhang Lizhong.
Since 2018, China has provided three batches of emergency food aid to support vulnerable populations in Karamoja through the WFP, helping nearly 500,000 people, according to the Chinese embassy in Uganda.
The WFP praised the Chinese government for supporting its School Meals Programme in 315 schools across Karamoja, where daily hot meals are served to over 210,000 children. The programme aims to keep children in school and protect them from various social challenges.
The WFP reported that the funds donated by China were used to purchase food locally, stimulating local agriculture and improving the livelihoods of Karamoja’s farmers. In 2023, the WFP purchased 2,300 tonnes of food from local farmers, injecting $2 million into the regional economy.
“We are deeply grateful to the Chinese government for their $2 million donation, which will help to sustain the School Meals Programme through the second term,” said WFP Country Director Abdirahman Meygag.
