Keep a child in school: One Meal at a Time

Program that provides nutritious meals—mid-morning porridge and midday meals—to public school students by mobilizing resources for collaborative feeding.

Municipality

UG
Wakiso, Región Central,

Category / Sub-Category / Topic

Healthcare, Feeding

Type of investment needed

Grant

Associated SDGs

The challenge

Lack of sufficient nutritious meals affects approximately 65% of UPE (public primary schools) children in Uganda.

The project

Keep a Child in School: One Meal at a Time is an initiative focused on providing nutritious meals—mid-morning porridge and midday meals—to students in Namayumba's UPE schools. By mobilizing community resources and support, the program prioritizes school feeding, bringing together parents, teachers, government bodies, private companies, and community members to collaborate. Through diverse fundraising approaches and efficient management by school feeding committees, the initiative ensures that feeding programs are well-resourced, sustainable, and effectively managed, keeping children nourished and engaged in their education.

The initiative will be carried out through:

  1. Parent-led School Feeding Committees: Parents will contribute through subsidized fees, in-kind donations, land, or labor for the school kitchen and garden, fostering participation and ownership.
  2. Awareness Campaigns: Parents will learn their role in providing meals, Government will be involved in correcting the misconception that UPE is fully government-funded.
  3. Community Sensitization & Engagement: The program will raise awareness in the broader community, encouraging donations, farmer support at subsidized rates, and restaurant contributions.
  4. School-based Gardens: Students, volunteers, and parents will grow vegetables to reduce reliance on external purchases.

Know more...


Wakiso District, located in central Uganda, is a suburban area surrounding Kampala. While agriculture remains a major part of the economy, including crop farming and animal rearing, poverty is prevalent, especially in rural areas where subsistence farming and informal sector work dominate. As a result, many families struggle to afford basic needs, including school meals. Wakiso has 1,692 primary schools, of which 256 are public (UPE). Public schools face challenges in sustaining feeding programs, often relying on PTAs to mobilize resources, though this is not universally adopted.

Out of the UPE schools in Uganda, at least 60% do not provide midday meals for students, with some schools offering only occasional porridge or meals for transitioning students. UPE, introduced in 1997, provides free education, but places the responsibility of feeding children on parents, according to the Education Act 2008. Many parents misunderstand UPE as a fully-funded program and are reluctant to contribute to school meals. This lack of contribution is compounded by weak government oversight, leaving many schools without consistent feeding programs.

The consequences of hunger in schools are severe. Hungry students struggle to concentrate, leading to poor academic performance and low cognitive function. Some students may not even be graded due to their inability to focus during exams. In some cases, exams are rescheduled for the morning to accommodate students who are less hungry. The lack of regular nutrition leads to malnutrition, a weakened immune system, reduced learning capacity, and increased absenteeism, with some students dropping out due to hunger.

The key root cause of this issue is high poverty levels, which prevent families from providing sufficient food for their children, leaving them hungry at school. Other causes include failure of Parents to recognize their responsibility of provision of meals to school going children & lack of strict follow-up by the government to ensure parents adhere to the school feeding policy

While most schools have access to clean water and some participate in school-based deworming programs, efforts to establish consistent school feeding programs remain inadequate. The government encourages parents and communities to contribute to these programs, but many parents in rural areas lack the financial resources to do so, leaving significant gaps in implementation.


  • Collaborative School Feeding Model: Mobilizing community resources by engaging local farmers, NGOs, and businesses to contribute subsidized food, technical support, regular monthly food donations from companies like JESA Milk, Cafe Javas, Hot Loaf, as part of their CSR activities; foster community involvement through crowdfunding, resource contributions (land, labor, food), and adopt fuel-saving cooking technologies.
  • Parent-Led School Feeding Committees: Establishing committees in 3 schools to plan, manage, and monitor feeding programs with defined roles, capacity-building training, transparent reporting, and collaboration with nutrition experts for meal planning; ensure efficient food procurement, kitchen renovations, and sharing success stories to sustain engagement. A weekly rotation system will be set up for committee members to oversee meal quality and quantity ensuring 100% of meals meet quality standards.
  • Community Sensitization for School Feeding: Encouraging parental and community involvement through PTA meetings, local media campaigns, radio talk shows, social media, and government-led initiatives to emphasize the importance of school feeding programs and shared responsibility.
  • School-Based Farming for Nutrition: Establishing school gardens to grow nutritious crops with input from local agricultural experts and district authorities, engaging students, parents, and youth through hands-on training, organic farming workshops, competitions, and community collaboration days to enhance food security, reduce costs, and promote sustainable practices.

Direct Results

  • 10 Contracts with local farmers for regular and subsidized food supply to schools.
  • $20,000 raised annually through social media and crowdfunding campaigns to support the feeding program.
  • 3 parent committees established across 3 participating schools with clearly defined roles.
  • 3 training sessions held annually for committee members in budgeting, nutrition,hygiene, procurement, and management.
  • Balanced meal plans developed in collaboration with nutrition experts in 100% of participating schools(3).
  • 10 success stories shared annually through local media, social media, and PTA meetings to increase engagement.
  • 1 Parent Teacher Association Meeting at the beginning of every term to discuss the importance of parents taking responsibility to feed the children
  • 1,000 parents across 3 participating schools sensitized
  • 3 radio talk shows on local stations to promote school feeding targeting to reach at least 10,000 listeners
  • 3 community meetings with local government authorities annually promoting community and parental involvement in school feeding.
  • 3 social media campaigns annually on platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
  • 3 school-based gardens established.
  • 15,000 early maturing, high-yielding, and drought-resistant seedlings distributed across the 3 schools
  • 15 workshops (5 per school) organized annually to train students, youth, and parents on organic farming, composting, crop rotation, and pest management
  • 150 volunteer hours contributed by parents and youth annually
  • 2 inter-school competitions hosted annually to encourage innovation and productivity between the 3 schools.
  • 3 storage facilities (1 per school) set up for crop preservation.
  • 5 practical farm lessons carried out in the schools

Expected Impact

  • Increase the number of school meals served to 100% of enrolled students in the 3 selected UPE schools by 2026.
  • Establish 3 functional parent-led school feeding committees in the 3 schools, each responsible for planning, managing, and overseeing the distribution of nutritious meals in the selected schools by 2026.

  • Centenary Bank ( https://www.centenarybank.co.ug/ )
  • Stanbic Bank (https://www.stanbicbank.co.ug/uganda/personal )
  • Airtel Uganda ( https://www.airtel.co.ug/ )
  • Fresh Dairy (https://freshdairyug.wordpress.com/ )
  • Café Javas ( https://cafejavas.co.ug )
  • Hot loaf bakery (https://directory.uma.or.ug/places/hot-loaf-bakery-ltd/ )
  • Jesa (https://jesa.co.ug/ )
  • Uganda Breweries (https://www.ugandabreweries.com/ )
  • Sprout industrial park

  • Joyce Ekere, Training Center Manager of Kulika Uganda (joyce@kulika.org)
  • Mary Namyenya, Municipal Official of Namayumba Town Council (magezimm@gmail.com )
  • Nelson Kasenene, Mayor of Namayumba Town Council (nelsonandbarbara2013@gmail.com )
  • Magdalene Amujal, Executive director of Kulika Uganda (magdalene@kulika.org )
  • John Sseebuufu, Community Development Officer of Kulika Uganda (john@kulika.org )
  • Stephen Ochwo, IT & Logistics Officer of Kulika Uganda (steven@kulika.org )
  • Petit Aquila Akol, Volunteer of Kulika Uganda (petitaquila@gmail.com )

Investment

(*): In kind/pro bonus

(**): Financing

Goods and inputs
Funds
Needed
Covered
Solicited

Sensibilización: impresión de 1000 volantes, 2 banderolas y 2 pancartas (**)

u$s 742.00

u$s 0.00

u$s 742.00

200 camisetas - para distribuir entre 200 partes interesadas, es decir, 50 padres, 20 maestros, 10 funcionarios del gobierno local, 120 para niños en 3 escuelas (**)

u$s 1428.00

u$s 0.00

u$s 1428.00

Compra de 3 carteles de papel (**)

u$s 17.00

u$s 17.00

u$s 0.00

Compra de 3 cajas de marcadores permanentes (**)

u$s 8.50

u$s 8.50

u$s 0.00

Combustible para el tallerista (**)

u$s 25.00

u$s 25.00

u$s 0.00

Suministros para renovaciones de cocina: 90 chapas de hierro, 90 bolsas de cemento, 15,000 ladrillos de arcilla, clavos surtidos, 30 barras de hierro, 15 viajes de arena (**)

u$s 4314.00

u$s 0.00

u$s 4314.00

Construcción de estufas de ahorro de combustible (1 estufa por escuela para las 3 escuelas) (**)

u$s 2000.00

u$s 0.00

u$s 2000.00

Compra de briquetas para cocinar (19 bolsas de 100 kg por escuela por trimestre) (**)

u$s 1454.54

u$s 0.00

u$s 1454.54

Compra de 12 sartenes/utensilios (4 por escuela) (**)

u$s 857.00

u$s 0.00

u$s 857.00

Suministros para establecer 3 jardines escolares: 90 azadas, 30 machetes, 90 azadas de horquilla, 30 cortadores, 30 kg de semillas de maíz, 120 semillas de frijoles, 60 plantones de árboles frutales surtidos, semillas de hortalizas surtidas. (**)

u$s 1598.00

u$s 85.00

u$s 1513.00

1 computadora portátil para actividades de coordinación del proyecto para el Oficial de Monitoreo y Evaluación (M&E) (**)

u$s 1052.00

u$s 0.00

u$s 1052.00

4200 litros de combustible para uso en el vehículo alquilado (**)

u$s 849.44

u$s 0.00

u$s 849.44

Recarga de teléfono y paquetes de datos (Ugx 160,000 en recarga de teléfono y datos para coordinar actividades del proyecto) (**)

u$s 500.00

u$s 0.00

u$s 500.00

Services
Funds
Needed
Covered
Solicited

Alquiler de salón (**)

u$s 85.00

u$s 0.00

u$s 85.00

Reembolso de transporte para 50 participantes (**)

u$s 714.00

u$s 0.00

u$s 714.00

Reembolso de transporte para 15 miembros del comité (**)

u$s 42.80

u$s 0.00

u$s 42.80

Mano de obra para la construcción (**)

u$s 2571.00

u$s 0.00

u$s 2571.00

Alquiler de vehículo para 120 viajes realizados a escuelas y otras actividades del proyecto (**)

u$s 721.76

u$s 0.00

u$s 721.76

Reembolso de transporte para 20 funcionarios del gobierno (**)

u$s 549.00

u$s 0.00

u$s 549.00

Reembolso de transporte para 240 partes interesadas comunitarias durante reuniones (**)

u$s 1000.00

u$s 0.00

u$s 1000.00

Visitas de monitoreo en campo y 1 evaluación externa (**)

u$s 840.00

u$s 0.00

u$s 840.00

1 Oficial de campo del proyecto (**)

u$s 1900.00

u$s 0.00

u$s 1900.00

1 Oficial de M&E (**)

u$s 1900.00

u$s 0.00

u$s 1900.00

Gastos administrativos de la oficina central (**)

u$s 1270.28

u$s 0.00

u$s 1270.28

Others
Funds
Needed
Covered
Solicited

Realización de 9 programas de radio comunitarios: 3 programas por trimestre para cada una de las 3 escuelas (**)

u$s 513.00

u$s 0.00

u$s 513.00

TOTAL AMOUNTS:

u$s 26952.32

u$s 135.50

u$s 26816.82

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