Full-filled: Paula is happy after lunch and time spent with her friends in the classroom
The young student, now in her final year of primary school, still enjoys her daily school lunches of fortified rice
Kenia Diva
Paula Chilombo was nine when ForAfrika first met her at Issombo Primary School in Bocoio, Angola. She was in Grade 3 and enjoying her school lunches every day. She is now in her final year at school and still loves the food – and learning.
“She is a happy and outgoing girl who does well at school and participates in everything,” says her teacher Pedro Manuel.
He says the school meals have a lot to do with it: “I really believe in the impact of school meals because I can see that over time, students become more proactive and efficient in the learning process.”
The value of school meals
A regular meal at school has been shown to improve attendance, reduce drop-out rates and increase children’s concentration levels. According to one of our partners, the World Food Programme, for every $1 invested in school meals, communities receive $9 in economic returns.
In a 2021 statement, head of WFP David Beasley said: “The question to me is: ‘What’s the cost of NOT providing a school meal to all the children on the planet?’ If you want increased poverty, don’t provide school meals. If you want more child marriages, don’t provide school meals. If you want more destabilisation and migration, and recruitment by extremist groups, don’t provide school meals.
“But if you want to see stronger local communities, and teen-pregnancy rates drop, and educational opportunities increase, and GDP and economic empowerment, especially of girls – if you want to see that increase, then provide school meals.”
Younger days: Paula when ForAfrika first met her, receiving the gift of a red bowl of porridge
Although Paula is looking forward to the next chapter of school, she says she will miss her meal: “I continue to dream of becoming a teacher one day. It is my passion. I love this school and knowing that this is my last year makes me sad. I’ve been told that there is no meal time at the other school when I leave, I’m going to miss sitting and eating school meals with my friends. And also playing with them.”
“The more I eat, the more I will have the strength to study and achieve my dreams,” she adds.
This is why, as well as providing a nutritious meal to children at primary schools, ForAfrika also takes great care to educate children, parents and caregivers about the importance of a varied diet. Where possible, school gardens are established to both provide a school with food and also to teach staff and pupils the value of supplementing their meals with nutritious vegetables.
This means that Paula will know how to provide food for herself.
Kenia Diva is Communications Officer in Angola
