WFP to Expand School Meals Program in Malawi
The program provides students with nutritious, locally sourced meals using maize, beans and vegetables grown by smallholder farmers.
NSANJE, Malawi — The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) announced plans Friday to dramatically expand its school meals program in Malawi in an effort to boost school attendance and reduce malnutrition among students, writes Cornelius Lupenga.
The WFP will add 200 more primary schools to its Home Grown School Feeding initiative, bringing the total number of participating schools to 416 across four southern districts, according to WFP official Madalo Thombozi.
“Following the success of the Home Grown Feeding Programme, we are going to extend it to 200 more schools, adding to 416,” Thombozi said.
The program provides students with nutritious, locally sourced meals using maize, beans and vegetables grown by smallholder farmers.
Thombozi said the meals are helping curb malnutrition and chronic absenteeism.
“There is tremendous change in the turn-up of children in schools,” said Dalitso Chapita, a district education officer in Nsanje.
She credited the feeding initiative with addressing Malawi's “rampant” absenteeism problem.
Noza Chingola Mpesi, a district nutrition officer, said the program has helped reduce stunting from 42% to 32% among students in Nsanje.
The expansion was made possible by increased support from the European Union, the WFP's biggest donor for the initiative.
The program currently reaches 216 schools in Nsanje, Chikwawa, Phalombe, and Zomba districts.