School Feeding: The Incentive for a Promising Future for Children in Angola

"Before, I felt hungry and couldn’t concentrate in school. Now, I can have soup before class, and I already know how to read and write," smiles Isabel. 

Isabel is a 13-year-old girl who attends the 4th grade at the primary school annex in the Nkhondo commune, a rural area in the Namibe province, southern Angola. Isabel recalls that before, she wasn’t very enthusiastic about going to school, mainly because she had an empty stomach during classes, which made it difficult for her to focus and learn. 

Today, attending classes has become more motivating for her and her classmates. They are provided with a hot meal five times a week, implemented as part of the Okulonguesa project. With the arrival of school feeding, Isabel's attendance has increased, enabling her to acquire the necessary knowledge to achieve her dream of becoming a doctor in the future. 

"Before, when I didn’t have soup, many days I missed school because I had nothing to eat, either there or at home. That prevented me from learning, from being able to read and write. But now, with the soup, I feel stronger and more motivated. I know that if I keep studying, one day I will be a doctor and I will take care of the people in my community," Isabel says, hopeful for the future. 

Just like Isabel, thousands of children around the world, especially in southern Angola, suffer the impacts of climate change exacerbated by El Niño. The severe drought threatens food security, leaving many without access to nutritious meals while attending school. Ensuring adequate food is not only a basic necessity but also an opportunity for these children to develop and achieve a life of abundance. 

Isabel's teacher, Germano Benguela, reports that previously, the number of students was considerably lower than it is now. From 40 students before the implementation of the project, there has been a significant increase, more than tripling this number with the introduction of school feeding. Currently, the Nkhondo primary school has 125 students (63 girls and 62 boys) in the two shifts taught. 

"We didn’t have this number registered; the school has never had so many students. And even those who attended didn’t pay attention and had poor performance because many times they didn’t even have a meal at home. The kitchen has been a great incentive for the children to learn, and even for parents to send their children to school. We are thankful to World Vision for transforming our community. The students' performance has improved, they are learning," emphasized the teacher. 

Despite the progress, the limitations imposed by the locality bring other concerns regarding the children. The teacher highlighted the urgent need to establish a medical post in the community, as, in emergencies, the school cannot provide any response. The nearest health unit is several hours away. 

"We have children who walk miles to get to school, and when situations like fevers occur in the classroom, we have no way of providing treatment. We send them home sick, without even receiving emergency care. We need, at least, a nurse to accompany this community because we have no way of helping the sick," he lamented. 

To mitigate the spread of diseases, especially contagious ones, and despite limited resources, the Okulonguesa project implements various activities focused on Hygiene, Water, and Sanitation (WASH) in the community. At the Nkhondo school, handwashing stations have been set up, where students, teachers, and the entire team of cooks clean their hands before coming into contact with food. 

The cooks are properly equipped with hairnets and aprons, ensuring that there are no hygiene oversights, thus protecting the well-being of the beneficiaries, especially the children. 

Isabel's family, like all the families participating in the activities, is carefully sensitized through house-to-house mobilization. During these visits, households learn the most effective and affordable ways to disinfect water, as it is one of the main vehicles for transmitting diarrheal diseases and others. 

The Okulonguesa project is funded by Camões - Institute for Cooperation and the Portuguese Language, I.P., under the FRESAN Program, and is implemented by World Vision Angola in partnership with ADESPOV. 
FRESAN is an initiative of the Government of Angola, funded by the European Union, and co-managed by Camões, I.P. It aims to contribute to reducing hunger, poverty, and vulnerability to food and nutrition insecurity in Cunene, Huíla, and Namibe, mainly through strengthening resilience and sustainable family agricultural production, improving the nutritional situation of families, and supporting capacity development in institutions.