International Food Day: World Vision DRC Strengthens Children’s Voice And Civic Action in Maluku

On the sidelines of International Food Day, World Vision DRC conducted an awareness-raising activity on the importance of school feeding for 594 pupils, including 286 girls and 308 boys, at Muzau Primary School, located in the rural commune of Maluku, nearly 80 kilometres from Kinshasa city centre in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

This initiative aimed not only to improve children’s knowledge of good nutritional practices and their impact on learning, but also to promote the Citizen Voice and Action (CVA) approach by encouraging the active participation of children, parents and local authorities in matters affecting children’s well-being and education.

The session was led by members of the Maluku Children’s Parliament, a key CVA mechanism enabling children to exercise their right to speak and engage in constructive dialogue with adults. The activity took place in the presence of the Acting Sub-Provincial Education Officer, the school headteacher and several teachers, illustrating a strong dynamic of social accountability and community collaboration.

For Jérôme, Acting Sub-Provincial Education Officer of Maluku 1, this initiative is in line with national priorities:

“We are very pleased with the support of our partner World Vision. This initiative aligns with the national school feeding strategy and forms part of the reforms of the Ministry of National Education and New Citizenship. Our presence here reflects our commitment to supporting this type of civic action.”

From the parents’ side, Barnabas, communal president of the National Association of Parents, highlighted the importance of community involvement:

“We are very pleased to see World Vision raising awareness among our children and involving parents in this activity. This is an action that strengthens our role in monitoring the education and well-being of our children.”

Children, who are central to the CVA approach, also expressed their satisfaction. Élie, aged 12, a sixth-year primary pupil, explained:

“I thank World Vision for raising our awareness. They also gave us food to show us that eating well at school helps us learn better.”

A message echoed by Dorcas, aged 7, who said:

“I thank World Vision for the food they gave us.”

For Guylain, headteacher of Muzau Primary School, this participatory approach is a driver of sustainable change:

“We thank World Vision for this awareness-raising on the importance of school feeding. We hope this initiative will be extended to other schools so that the school feeding strategy can truly be implemented across the entire community.”

The event concluded with the distribution of porridge to the pupils—both a symbolic and educational act illustrating the importance of school feeding as a lever for protection, educational success, and civic engagement, in line with the Citizen Voice and Action approach promoted by World Vision.