Kamuli, Uganda: International Development Institute (IDI) Uganda has injected UGX 300 million in food provision to keep learners in school under its ongoing School Feeding Program, reaching more than 13,000 pupils across 16 supported primary schools.
The initiative comes as government prepares to roll out a nationwide school feeding programme aimed at curbing dropouts and improving learning outcomes. The supplies delivered through Agroways Uganda include 57,950kgs of posho, 27,000kgs of beans, and 660 litres of cooking oil.
IDI Uganda Regional Manager, Christine Okalang, underscored the importance of mid-day meals as both a learner’s right and a tool for retention. “We are here to fight both spiritual and physical hunger by building the capacity of parents to manage their children’s education, health, nutrition, and livelihood—anchored in spiritual growth,” Okalang said.
Kamuli District Education Officer (DEO), Joseph Waibi, commended the intervention, noting that many schools in the district struggle with poor harvests and limited parental capacity to provide food.
“Food provision has contributed to retention. IDI Uganda has gone beyond food to retool teachers, strengthen school management, improve sanitation, and introduce school gardening projects to sustain feeding,” Waibi explained.
At Bukusu Primary School, headteacher and academic coordinator for IDI-supported schools, Stella Lubuga, said the intervention sparked a sudden return of pupils in the second week of the term.
“Mid-day meals have curbed absenteeism, boosted retention, and assured us that we are teaching children who are not hungry or angry. Parents are now working with us for sustainability,” Lubuga noted.
IDI Uganda’s program has been hailed by education leaders for its holistic model that combines food provision with teacher capacity building, infrastructure support, and community engagement—creating what Waibi called “a responsive and lasting legacy” in Kamuli’s education sector.
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