School feeding improves enrollment in two counties of Eastern Equatoria State

By Benjamin Takpiny

The school feeding program, implemented by the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) and supported by the World Food Programme (WFP) in Kapoeta North and South counties, has improved enrollment and attendance rates in schools.

School meals have significantly reduced dropout rates and have greatly increased motivation among pupils to attend class.

These meals enable children to continue their education and build better futures for themselves, their families, and their communities.

Many children in Kapoeta North County attend school on empty stomach and fatigue every day due to many challenges.  For many, a school meal is the only food they have each day.

Sandra Nabeyo, a primary 3 pupil at St. Mary Magdalene Nursery and Primaryin Kapoeta North County of Eastern Equatoria State told The Dawn last week during the tour of the projects funded by the World Food Programme, that the meals help them concentrate better in class, adding that they find it easier to focus on their lessons when they know their stomachs are full. 

“We are so happy with the school feeding program at our school in Kapoeta North. Every day, we get to eat delicious and nutritious meals that make us feel strong and ready to learn. The food is always tasty, and we love knowing that we can have a good meal every day, even if we don’t have enough food at home,” said Nabeyo.

Isaac Latabo, a primary 5 pupil said that the meals have prevented him from going hungry for the whole day.

“Thank you so much to everyone who has made this possible. We feel very grateful and lucky to be part of a school that cares about our health and well-being. We hope that other schools can also have such a wonderful program,” said Latabo.

School feeding serves as a key safety net to ensure that children have access to education, health and nutrition in South Sudan.

The program addresses hunger among schoolchildren so they can learn better, thereby helping to break the inter-generational cycle of hunger, malnutrition and illiteracy.

 It also provides an important opportunity to build the resilience of the entire community by acting as a market for local produce by smallholder farmers.

 Sr.  Mary Nkatha Jenario, head teacher of St. Mary Magdalene Primary School in Kapoeta North County, said that the school feeding has a lot of impact for their learners.

“The feeding program has been very important to our schools, and especially to this school, St. Mary Magdalene Nursery and Primary, In some years back, the number of learners was very low and as the World Food Programme kept on bringing the food in the school, I see the number has increased from 777 to 1050, which I feel is very important, and I think it is giving a good result for this food being brought in the schools,” said Jenario.

 She said that currently the learners in the school are happy compared with people in the community here.

Josephat Kutyauripo,  ADRA project manager for food assistance for recovery, said that  they are implementing the school feeding program in 13 schools in both Kapoeta North and South counties.

He said that the 3,000 learners are beneficiaries of the school feeding program in Kapoeta South and 2,585 in Kapoeta North respectively.

Kutyauripo said that the school feeding program has improved the enrolment of children especially those from poor background who come to school to get food because they don’t have food back home.