The World Food Programme (WFP) has been bolstered by a grant of M25 million (approximately JPY 200) from the government of Japan, which will help ensure that 50,000 pre-school children across the country receive nutritious meals through the school feeding programme.
The grant is a testament to Japan’s commitment to improving food security and health outcomes for the country’s future leaders.
The contribution is expected to buy canned fish, rice and fortified maize meal to further diversify nutritious meals offered in the Early Childhood Care Development (ECCD) centers across the country for over 180 school days.
This comes after the government of Lesotho declared a national food insecurity disaster effective from 12 July 2024 to 31 March 2025 and asked for support from multi-sectoral partners and stakeholders to combat the food insecurity in the country.
Speaking at the signing ceremony on Wednesday this week, Chief Education Officer-Basic Education Thuto Ntšekhe-Mokhele said the school feeding programme was important as it addresses malnutrition, stunting and low enrolment rates in pre and primary schools.
Mokhele indicated that many children rely on school meals and for most of them this would be their only nutritious meal in a day.
