The Zambian government has taken another step toward strengthening its school feeding programme following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Ministry of Education and Food for Education (F4E), a partnership aimed at improving nutrition and learning outcomes for millions of schoolchildren across the country.
The agreement was witnessed by the Presidential Delivery Unit (PDU), the Office of the Vice President, the World Food Programme (WFP), and other development stakeholders, highlighting a broad coalition of support for Zambia’s education and nutrition agenda.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Head of the Presidential Delivery Unit, Ms. Kusobile Kamwambi, praised the Ministry of Education for prioritising both access to education and the quality of learning.
She noted that the school feeding programme has expanded significantly over the past five years, growing from approximately 900,000 learners in 2021 to 5.6 million learners in 2026.
When we invest in school nutrition, we are nourishing potential; we are investing in Zambia’s future
Ms. Kamwambi said.
She stressed that school feeding should not be viewed merely as a welfare intervention but as a strategic national investment that supports education, health, and long-term economic development.
According to her, sustainable progress in the education sector requires strong collaboration between government institutions, development partners, the private sector, and civil society organisations.
Ms. Kamwambi added that such partnerships are essential for building an education ecosystem that integrates learning with nutrition, health services, water, energy, technology, and community support systems.
Under the newly signed MoU, Food for Education will provide technical assistance to the Ministry of Education in several key areas, including policy and governance, programme design, data digitisation, budgeting and financing, and infrastructure development.
The partnership is expected to strengthen institutional coordination and improve the efficiency of school feeding operations across Zambia.
Stakeholders at the event described the agreement as a significant milestone in the country’s efforts to ensure that every child has access to both education and adequate nutrition.
The World Food Programme (WFP) and other partners reaffirmed their support for Zambia’s school feeding initiatives, noting that well-designed school nutrition programmes can increase school attendance, improve concentration in class, and contribute to better educational outcomes.
The development comes as many African countries continue to explore integrated approaches that link education, nutrition, and social protection as part of broader efforts to improve human capital development.
For Zambia, the new partnership is expected to accelerate ongoing reforms aimed at making free education more effective by ensuring that learners are healthy, nourished, and ready to learn.
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