As government battles industrial teachers’ action and prepares to launch a national School feeding program to improve learning and reduce drop outs, International Development Institute (IDI) Uganda has delivered food for over 13,000 pupils in its 16 supported Primary Schools attracting learners back to schools.
The supplies under IDI Uganda School Feeding Program by Agroways Uganda include 57,950 kgs of Posho, 27,000 kgs of beans and 660 liters of cooking oil
Christine Okalang the Regional manager underscored the importance of mid-day meals to learners not only as a means of attracting learners to school but a basic right.
“We are here to fight both spiritual and physical hunger through our child focused community transformation focusing on building the capacity of parents to manage their children’s education, health, nutrition and livelihood wrapped up in spiritual growth,” Okalang revealed.
Okalang added that IDI Uganda’s generosity, expertise and support leaves a lasting and impactful legacy of providing a conducive learning environment and enhancing quality education
Kamuli District Education Officer Joseph Waibi revealed that schools are struggling with parents to feed the children coupled with poor harvest and the few schools under IDI Uganda are lucky.
The DEO added that IDI Uganda has worked on retooling teachers, school management and PTA, sanitation and menstrual hygiene management and above all introduced school feeding gardening projects for pupils to grow food and vegetables to supplement and sustain the feeding program in a participatory manner.
“Food provision has contributed to retention and as Education department, we are grateful to IDI Uganda for its extra contribution towards capacity building of teachers in the district, infrastructure development and community engagement to embrace and support education using their responsive, liberal and engaging model,” Waibi hailed.
Stella Lubuga the headteacher Bukusu Primary School and IDI Uganda supported schools Academic coordinator reported that the lunch supply spurred sudden return of pupils to schools in the second week and it has become the habit that the children wait for food supply to report back from holidays.
“Food and mid-day meals plays a pivotal role in curbing school absenteeism, boosting retention and we are sure we are teaching children who are not hungry and angry and we are working with parents for the sustainability and indebted to IDI Uganda for this sacrifice,” Lubuga commended.
