School Feeding Project

School Feeding Project (SFP)

Under nutrition is a major public health problem among children in Ethiopia causing irreversible consequences on children’s physical and mental health and contributes to over half of child deaths. School- age children face high levels of illness and malnutrition during their crucial growing years, decreasing their ability to pay attention and progress in school. Reports indicate that school children can lose as much as 160 days each year due to illness because under nutrition magnifies the effect of every disease (FAO, 2012).Despite the importance of school meals for vulnerable and poor children, currently only 5% of primary school age children are beneficiaries of a School Feeding Program (SFP) in Ethiopia.

Thus, SFP is one of the components of SSHNP reaching 1000 school children in four government funded Public Primary Schools.  Through SFP we provide breakfast and lunch in schools to meet their nutritional needs and encourage school attendance as education will be their ladder out of poverty. Our school meals offer a selection of freshly cooked plant-based meals which meet the nutritional standards set WFP and WHO. The daily menu is rotated on a weekly basis and revised annually based on students’ feedback. Its well documented that balanced and fresh meals benefit schools and teachers from a happy and productive school environment with better behaviour and higher educational performance.