By Sekete Lesaoana
Maseru, Lesotho – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has secured €600,000 from the Principality of Monaco to bolster its efforts in providing meals to school children and offering training for smallholder farmers in Lesotho as part of the national home-grown school feeding initiative.
The four-year project, spanning from 2023 to 2026, targets Mohale’s Hoek, Lithakaling, and Quthing Ha Mohlakoana districts, where WFP is conducting resilience-building activities. These southern districts face chronic food insecurity, exacerbated by poor socioeconomic conditions and the looming threat of climate change impacts.
According to the Integrated Context Analysis, Mohale’s Hoek and Quthing fall under category one, necessitating long-term interventions to address protracted crises and frequent natural shocks hindering recovery efforts. The stunting rates in these districts stand at 34% and 38% respectively, highlighting the urgent need for nutritional support among children.
Thuto Nt’sekhe, the Primary Education Chief Executive Officer, stressed the importance of early childhood nutrition, citing the alarming statistics revealing that only 40% of children have access to early childhood education, while 43% suffer from undernutrition. Nt’sekhe underscored the significance of the project in tackling these pressing issues.
“In addition to benefiting 300 smallholder farmers, the project aims to support 538 children across 36 ECCD centers,” Nt’sekhe stated. “The insights gained will not only enhance WFP-implemented ECCD center feeding but will also inform Lesotho Government-run school feeding programs in public primary schools. Our ultimate goal is to source 80% of food commodities for school feeding from local smallholder farmers.”
The program seeks to provide diversified school meals to ECCD children, aiming to reduce short-term hunger, improve enrollment, attendance, and retention rates in ECCD centers. It also aims to establish a sustainable procurement system by engaging smallholder farmers and linking their produce to school feeding programs.
The project will directly target 528 pre-primary school learners from 36 preschools and 2,290 primary learners from 45 primary schools. Farmers will sell surplus produce to primary schools through National Management Agents engaged by the Government, ensuring market access and economic empowerment for farmers.
Nt’sekhe concluded by highlighting the project’s alignment with the African Union’s education agenda for 2024 and the significance of proper nutrition for ECCD children. She emphasized that school feeding not only enhances education outcomes but also presents an opportunity to uplift local communities and advance the rural economy.
Currently, WFP provides school meals to 50,000 school children in 2,400 preschools across Lesotho. The learners receive two meals a day, consisting of fortified maize meal pap, vegetables, and canned fish or pulses. While WFP handed over primary school feeding to the government in 2020, it continues to provide technical assistance to strengthen the Ministry of Education and Training’s capacity to manage and implement the school feeding program effectively.
