Online Reporter
Robin Muchetu, Health and Gender Editor
THE Government will continue ensuring that every school-going child receives at least one hot meal a day, as part of President Mnangagwa’s commitment to upholding regional and international treaties aimed at ensuring adequate nutrition for all pupils.
The school feeding programme was introduced to address the challenges of drought and food insecurity affecting various regions of the country, ensuring that students remain in school, are well-nourished, and enjoy an overall improved quality of life.
Proper nutrition is crucial for cognitive development and concentration, leading to better academic performance. Well-nourished students are more attentive in class, have higher energy levels, and are less likely to miss school due to illness.
The nutrition programme not only supports their physical health but also enhances their academic performance and future opportunities.
The recently gazetted Statutory Instrument Number 13 of 2025 mandates school heads to implement school feeding through a committee working in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Child Care, which provides oversight in ensuring quality in the food provided to the pupils.
Speaking during the commemoration of the 10th Edition of the African Day of School Feeding which was held at Colleen Bawn Primary School in Gwanda District, Matabeleland South Province, Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, Torerayi Moyo said President Mnangagwa has made feeding schoolchildren daily a reality, ensuring that all three million pupils get at least one hot meal a day.
“We commend the visionary leadership of our President, Cde Dr Emmerson Mnangagwa, for his decisive actions in adopting and implementing the home-grown school feeding programme. This initiative is a testament to his commitment to enhancing the well-being of our children and ensuring their educational success.
“In the first term of 2025, our schools received wheat meal where the Government provided it to all our schools from the Grain Marketing Board, and we need to commend the Government for that,” said Minister Moyo.
He said Zimbabwe, through President Mnangagwa, is a signatory of the School Meals Coalition, which has seen learners benefiting from the meals.
“It is a commitment that we need to fulfil, it is a commitment that our Presidents made by signing the School Meals Coalition. In October 2023, we attended the coalition signing ceremony in Paris, France. So, we are committed as the Government and as the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education to providing a balanced diet, at least we need to provide one hot meal a day to every learner.
“In addition to the support that we receive from the Government especially during the time of emergencies, the Government deliberately allocates funding from the fiscus through our Budget and for the 2024 Budget I am sure you are aware that we got the highest budget allocation of not less than ZWG46 billion and part of that will go towards school feeding,” he added.
Minister Moyo said the initiative has seen everyone from ECD to secondary level being fed.
Colleen Bawn Primary School was also hailed for taking the lead in embarking on projects that are boosting the school’s feeding initiative.
“We aim to ensure that school learners have good food and a balanced diet, which is why we are here in Colleen Bawn. This school beat many others in providing a good diet for its learners. They also have various projects underway, such as a nutritional garden where they grow beans, maize and various vegetables used for the feeding programme.
“They also have other projects where they rear goats, chickens and pigs. This food that they grow feeds the learners, and excess is sold to cover other foodstuffs they require,” said Minister Moyo.
The event was held in line with the African Union Heads of State Summit, where a communique was issued that every Member State must commemorate the African Day of School Feeding on March 1 every year. The 10th African Day of School Feeding for 2025 was commemorated in the Central African Republic from February 28 to March 1.
The theme for this year, for the AU African Day School Feeding is “A decade of nourishment, celebrating the past, securing a just future”.
The local theme derived from the AU theme is “A decade of nourishment, celebrating the past, securing a brighter future using home-grown solutions”.
