China has donated 7.5 billion Shillings to the World Food Program (WFP) to support the school feeding program in the Karamoja sub region.
The donation includes 1,480 tones of beans and maize, and 152 tonnes of cooking oil.
Abdirahman Meygag, the WFP Country Representative while speaking at the event in Kampala said that, China’s contribution is instrumental in sustaining WFP’s school meals program in Karamoja which directly impacts many lives of children, especially girls by keeping them in school.
Meygag also pointed out that WFP has been partnering with the Ministry of Education and Sports to implement the program. He also applauded Uganda for its commitment towards the realization of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 2 and 4 which call for end to hunger and demand equitable opportunities in education as well.
Currently WFP provides meals to over 210,000 from 315 schools in 9 districts of the Karamoja Sub-region.
Zhang Lizhong the Chinese Ambassador to Uganda said that the donation is part of the rapid response to the urgent request from the government of Uganda to manage the food security in Karamoja.
He added that the donation is also an implementation of the commitment by the President of China Xi Jinping made at the China-Africa leader’s dialogue in Johannesburg last year. During that dialogue, China’s President promised to help Africa manage the current food crisis and also still ready to provide additional emergency food assistance to African countries in need.
The State Minister for Primary Education Joyce Moriku Kaducu noted that the program contributes a significant amount to retaining children in schools which is also embedded and recognized in the National Vision of Uganda 2040 and the development plan 3.
Furthermore, Kaducu stated that the government acknowledges the significance of school meals on cognitive development, school performance and overall achievement of the children.
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