Lunch for Children

Dream Building Service Association (

Non-governmental organization (NGO)

)

#SDGAction33648

Description

Intro

Lunch for Children is a school feeding program that provides lunch that is worth $0.30 per child per day to schools in vulnerable areas around Africa. We believe that no children should ever suffer from hunger and they deserve a chance of education. Throughout the practice, food has been proven to be an effective factor to bring students back to their classrooms. By providing lunch to schools, the program encourages school dropouts to return to school. As the children eat better and grow healthier, their concentration level in class improves.

Implementation of the Project/Activity

The program was launch in Kenya in March 2017. So far, it has been implemented in six countries including Kenya, Uganda, Malawi, Ethiopia, Tanzania, and Nigeria benefiting more than 10,000 students. During the pandemic, the program was carried out in the form of food package distribution. From 2021, the operation has returned to normal.

Results/Outputs/Impacts

With the introduction of the program, there is a significant increase in enrollment along with a lower drop-out rate and fewer sick leaves. Students become more discipline in class with better academic performance. They also become more social, which is reflected in the longer time they stay after school with their friends. Parents have less pressure on food as their children will not come back home hungry asking for more food. According to the questionnaire results, 91% of guardians believed the program has improved the family’s life. They are more willing to pay tuition fees to send their children to school. The school headteachers and community leaders also report that fewer cases of theft are found on their students.

Enabling factors and constraints

The program brings a lot of attention from the local community by word of mouth. However, as we want to deliver the program to as many schools as possible, fundraising has always been the major constraint for our capacity.

Sustainability and replicability

The program can serve as an example of how to stimulate children’s better involvement in education by providing food at school. It has developed a framework that consists of criteria of selection, structured mechanism of food supply, the standard of implementation, and monitoring process that could be used by other organizations.

Other sources of information

https://youtu.be/wWEhyvRpXfI

COVID-19 Impact

School shutdown during the Covid-19 pandemic and led to the suspension of the lunch provision at school. Instead, food packages are delivered to the students and parents at the school premises on a monthly basis.

SDGS & Targets