PLE grades shoot up after Lunch for learning Program

A program, Lunch4Learning, where pupils of Namwendwa Primary school in Kamuli District have porridge for break, has attracted more children under Universal Primary Education. This was after local authorities found out that lack of school feeding contributed to less attendance. 

Namwendaw Primary school pupils having lunch

“The issue of coming late or missing classes at school is solved once the pupils are sure of something to feed on,” said the headmaster Peter Ofamba. 

Mr Peter Ofamba added that; “Even parents who prefer their children to stay home and tend to the gardens are willing to let them come to class. It is a win win situation for either party.”

The Lunch4Learning Program Manager; Mr. Julius Othieno said; “Their efforts are steadily reducing poor nutrition among school age children and their ability to learn is improving drastically.” 

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Lunch4Learning Project Manger; Mr. Julius Othieno

“Feeding effectively curbs the short term hunger, which has been very common among the children who do not have breakfast. They find concentrating and performing complex tasks at school very tedious,” said Mr. Othieno.

According to the programs Manager, the Lunch4Learning program has boosted incomes of local farmers as they sell their surplus harvest; improving household income of homes where the pupils come from. As a result grades for most pupils shot up in the last Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE.) 

Pupils who begun school late have been retained and their interest in literacy classes improved. 

“This is evidence that, feeding interventions have improved performance of pupils in class,” says a parent John Zikusoka. “Eating breakfast is not so expensive. Eating well saves time and money that would have been spent on treatment and seeing a doctor,” he added.

Conducted on a tour of  some of the Lunch4Learning program beneficiaries, the speaker of   the Ugandan Parliament; Rt. Hon. Rebecca Kadaga, was impressed by the simple vegetable gardens at Nawanende Primary school in Kamuli District which are being replicated in several homes where the pupils come from.