THE PROBLEM

Hunger is the reason that 70% of children in government-aided (public) schools drop out of school by Grade 5, many of them girls. While there are many causes for giving up school, our own research (“Enabling Engaging Educational Environments in Rural Kigezi’s Primary Schools”) from 21 schools concluded that hunger was the primary reason. 100% of them walk to school, some as far as a full hour, and returning home at lunch time (not necessarily for a meal) and back to school meant skipping the afternoon classes which lead to learning losses. 

OUR SOLUTION

Provide a wet-school meal, prepared at school, five days a week to all children regardless of age or social-economic-family status. Construct kitchens and provide a well trained catering staff (hire and train only parents) to deliver a consistently top quality meal served on time daily.

GOAL 

To reverse school-drops, reduce absenteeism and increase enrollment in primary schools so that children can complete 7 years of primary education and achieve a basic level of literacy. 

OPERATIONS

Started in July 2009, the 10:30 Porridge Program is a wet-school-feeding program in which we provide one school-meal a day, served at 10:30AM (because that is when a child that hasn’t eaten breakfast or that didn’t have any dinner the night before starts to lose focus). The meal is served to ALL enrolled children. Parent cooks do the cooking, families contribute firewood twice a month with the foundation providing the rest of the firewood. 

RESULTS

Community partnerships that are education focused.

Average 40% reduction in absenteeism.

Up to 20% increase in enrollment

Up to 90% reduction in school-dropouts (excluding transfers).

Close monitoring of children’s health and well-being.