Government Commits To Expand School Meals To Fragile Contexts In Mozambique

Government supports School Meals in Emergencies in Mozambique
School meals will bring relief for children in emergency contexts triggered by natural disasters and conflicts in Mozambique
Benjamim Capito
Friday, October 17, 2025

The National School Feeding Program (PRONAE) will incorporate the provision of school meals in the context of emergency responses triggered by natural disasters and conflicts in Mozambique

This initiative is expected to come to effectiveness in 2026 with the distribution of school meals to complement the take-home rations that currently are bringing relief to children in the provinces of Sofala and Cabo Delgado.

To achieve this goal, the Ministry of Education and Culture (MEC) will continue to prioritize partnerships with non-governmental and humanitarian organizations with a focus on expanding PRONAE from 8% to 15% in 2029, and then to 25% in 2034.

“We are looking for partnerships with a minimum duration of five years to ensure the continuity of PRONAE after Russian funding ends in 2025,” revealed Arlinda Chaquisse, National Director of School Health and Cross-cutting Issues at MEC, during the Regional Seminar on the Dissemination of the Food and Nutrition Security Policy and Strategy (PESAN) 2024 – 2030, held in the province of Nampula.

The partnership with World Vision-Mozambique in implementing of the Educating Children Together project and, more recently, the Partnering for Sustainable Education Outcomes PARES project, has contributed to advancing the agenda of expanding school meals to more children in the provinces of Nampula and Zambézia.

Both provinces have high rates of chronic malnutrition, with an incidence of 47% in Nampula and 44% in Zambézia, according to indicators revealed by the Technical Secretariat for Food and Nutritional Security (SETSAN).