China donates food to schoolchildren in Karamoja

China has donated Shs 7.5 billion to the World Food Program (WFP) to support the school feeding program for 165,000 children in the Karamoja sub-region.

The money will enable WFP to procure 1,480 tonnes of beans and maize and 152 tonnes of cooking oil locally hence benefiting the school children and the local farmers.

Abdirahman Meygag, WFP country representative while speaking at the event in Kampala said that China’s contribution is instrumental in sustaining WFP’s school meals program in Karamoja which directly impacts many lives of children, especially girls by keeping them in school.

Meygag also pointed out that WFP has been partnering with the ministry of Education and Sports to implement the program. He also applauded Uganda for its commitment towards the realization of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 2 and 4 which call for an end to hunger and demand equitable opportunities in education as well.

Currently, WFP provides meals to over 210,000 children from 315 schools in 9 districts of the Karamoja sub-region. Zhang Lizhong, Chinese Ambassador to Uganda said that the donation is part of the rapid response to the urgent request from the government of Uganda to manage the food security in Karamoja.

WFP’s Fill the Nutrient Gap analysis indicates that 84 per cent of households in Karamoja cannot afford a nutritious diet daily. Karamoja sub region also has the lowest literacy rate in the country, with only 31 per cent of the population over the age of 18 being literate, compared to a national average of 68 per cent.

Zhang added that the donation is also an implementation of the commitment by the President of China, Xi Jinping made at the China-Africa leader’s dialogue in Johannesburg last year. During that dialogue, China’s president promised to help Africa manage the current food crisis and also be ready to provide additional emergency food assistance to African countries in need.

The state minister for Primary Education Joyce Moriku Kaducu noted that the program contributes a significant amount to retaining children in schools which is also embedded and recognized in the National Vision of Uganda 2040 and the National Development Plan III.

Furthermore, Kaducu stated that the government acknowledges the significance of school meals on cognitive development, school performance and overall achievement of the children.

Provision of daily school meals, research shows serves as a powerful incentive for impoverished families to enrol their children in school by up to 9 per cent, enable students to concentrate on their studies, leading to sustainable increases in school enrolment and lower dropout rates. Meals can also reduce anaemia prevalence in girls by up to 20 per cent.