School are struggling to feed learners due to the sharp rise in prices of maize flour, which is the main ingredient of most meals prepared in schools across the country. On a daily basis, children mostly have posho and beans for lunch, with the exception of boarders where they have a variety of meat, rice nd matooke on their Sunday menu.
Malnutrition affects over 21% of school-going children in Africa and contributes to immediate and long-term adverse consequences for development and health (Best et al, 2010). Although data on the nutrition status of school-aged children in Uganda is limited, the available evidence indicates that micronutrient deficiencies are common with anaemia rates reaching 46% in girls 11-14 years of age (Barugahara et al, 2013). The prevalence of undernutrition in children aged 5-19 years is 31% among boys and 17% among girls alongside rising burdens of overweight, 16% in girls and 5% in boys (Global Nutrition Report, 2020).
With the introduction of institutional improved cook stoves (IICS) that replace the most popular 3-stone fires used to prepare the daily meals, an average school with 700 hundred learners can save approximately USD 1,500 on firewood annual purchases. This means the money saved on firewood not used for cooking activities is currently helping school administrators to use such funds to support the purchase of the increasing maize flour prices. This is another success story we always like to share as part of the benefits this Project Activity delivers as schools move up the energy ladder.
