A Plate of Food is Power in a Child’s Hands: Celebrating the 10th Anniversary of the African Day of School Feeding

Reflecting on Mama Rachel Ruto , First Lady of the Republic of Kenya’s remarks from the global launch event for the third School Meal Programs Around the World report

Blog by Alissa R. , GCNF Communications Coordinator in collaboration with the Office of The First Lady of The Republic of Kenya

Each year on March 1st, the African Day of School Feeding highlights the transformative role of school meal programs in enhancing education, nutrition, and economic development across the continent. Established by the African Union in 2016, this year marks the 10th anniversary of the celebration, recognizing a decade of progress in using school meals as a powerful tool to improve student learning, boost school attendance, and support local food systems. By providing nutritious meals in schools, governments and communities across Africa help ensure that children have the energy and focus they need to thrive in the classroom and beyond.

Another key milestone this year for school meal advocacy was the release of the Global Child Nutrition Foundation (GCNF)’s third School Meal Programs Around the World report. Featuring results of the 2024 Global Survey of School Meal Programs ?, the report provides comprehensive global data on large-scale school meal programs from over 160 countries.?

Notably, the findings highlight that?82.2 million children in Africa benefit from school meals,?underscoring the potential of these programs in supporting education and nutrition across the?continent. The report was released during an?official launch event co-hosted by GCNF and?International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), where global leaders and advocates?discussed the impact of the latest findings.

Among the speakers was Mary Muinde, Chief of Staff to the First Lady of the Republic of Kenya, who shared remarks on behalf of Her Excellency Rachel Ruto, the First Lady of the Republic of Kenya. A strong advocate for school meals, the First Lady established the Feed One, End Hunger initiative and is working to inspire other First Ladies across Africa to embrace school feeding as a strategy for improving health and education. The First Lady’s remarks emphasized the immense power of school meals in shaping children’s futures.

She reinforced a simple yet profound truth:

“A plate of food is power in a child’s hands.”

These words, echoed back by attendees in the room, underscore the far-reaching impact of school meals to not only alleviate hunger but to also unlock opportunities for millions of children. As we celebrate a decade of African Day of School Feeding, we reflect on the First Lady’s message and her commitment to ensuring that every child has access to nutritious meals at school. The following are her remarks as presented during the official launch event of the Third School Meal Programs Around the World report in Washington, D.C. on February 4th, 2025:

“It is an honour and a privilege to join you for the Official Launch of the Third School Meal Programs Around the World Report, a remarkable collaboration between the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) and The Global Child Nutrition Foundation.

This report we are launching today is more than just data and statistics; it is a clarion call to action and a testament to the transformative power of school meals across the world.

Allow me to convey heartfelt greetings from Her Excellency, the First Lady of the Republic of Kenya, Mrs. Rachel Ruto. She extends her deepest appreciation to IFPRI and The Global Child Nutrition Foundation for the unwavering commitment to securing the future of the world by investing in our children.

Her Excellency, Mrs. Rachel Ruto, has repeatedly said that " A Plate of Food is Power in a Child’s Hands." This is not just nourishment; it is the power to dream, learn, grow, and build a future filled with hope and opportunity. School meal programs are lifelines that weave together the threads of health, education, and economic prosperity.

In Kenya, Research by the Ministry of Health reveals that malnutrition drains up to 6% of our GDP through healthcare costs and lost productivity. But beyond the numbers are the faces of children whose potential is stifled by hunger. We cannot afford this loss—not as a country, not as a continent, and certainly not as a global community.

As we launch this report, we are not asking "if" we will ensure that every child in need receives a school meal. The question is "how" we will do this sustainably, especially in a world where donor budgets are shrinking, and the demand for resilient solutions is growing.

The First Lady of the Republic of Kenya has started an initiative dubbed “Feed One End Hunger”, which aims to sustainably inspire a national conversation and culture in support of food security in our nation. This initiative has 3 pillars; child protection, child participation and child provision. This is inspired by Mother Teresa who once said, and I quote, “If you cannot feed a hundred, just feed one.”?

The First Lady of The Republic of Kenya has championed a three-pronged transformative approach to achieve the universal school feeding goal of reaching 10 million Kenyan children by 2030:

a) Integrating School Feeding with Climate Resilience:

• Kenya has faced the harshest drought in four decades, threatening both food security and livelihoods. In response, schools are being transformed into centres of climate resilience.
• Our ambitious goal is to increase Kenya’s tree cover from 12% to 30% by 2032 through planting and growing 15 Billion Trees.
• The First Lady has pledged to plant 500 million fruit trees in public schools. These trees will not only combat climate change but also provide nutritious fruits for students and generate income to support school feeding programs.

b) Empowering Students through Participatory Agriculture:

• The First Lady uses a participatory approach of involving the learners in growing food in school. This is through the 4K Club, modelled after the 4H Model in America, by the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development where students grow food in school gardens, dubbed Mama kitchen gardens.
• This teaches the students the essential value of food security, gives them practical skills that can be practised at home and makes them part of the solution that their school needs with the produce harvested in the school farm being part of the food cooked in the school.
• From vertical vegetable gardens to fish ponds and drought resistant crops like Cassava, these projects are turning schools into hubs of innovation and sustainability.

c) Strengthening Household Nutrition:

• School meals provide only one-third of a child’s nutritional needs; the rest must come from home. Recognising that nutrition begins even before birth, the First Lady is empowering women the cornerstone of household food security.
• Through partnerships with the Ministry of Agriculture, women are receiving training, water tanks, seeds, seedlings, and support for agribusiness ventures.
• This holistic approach ensures that nutrition is sustained from the household to the classroom.
• We are also working to increase the talent pool for agricultural mechanisation through training on tractor operations and agribusiness.

These strategies deliver a triple impact: enhancing food security, building skills and capacity, and fostering a culture that values food production.

We are further encouraging schools to consider buying food rations from the neighbouring farmers. By reducing the "miles in the meals," we reduce the carbon footprint in school meals, promote local economies and ensure fresher, more nutritious food for our children.?

Ladies and Gentlemen, Every dollar spent on school meals has a long-term benefit to children, their households and their community. Our sustainable approach confirms that it is possible to empower communities to be food secure.

I want to urge partners in this room to join us in positioning Kenya as a centre of excellence for school feeding. This will be a learning centre for the rest of the continent.

The First Lady of The Republic of Kenya is committed to rallying her peers, the First Ladies from Africa to adopt school feeding as a key strategy for advancing health and education agendas.

This report we launch today is more than an assessment; it is a roadmap. It will help us measure progress, align efforts, and set shared, measurable goals to ensure no child is left behind. Together, let us harness the power of school meals to change lives, communities, and the world.

As I close my remarks, I will request you to join me in the clarion call by First Lady, Mama Rachel Ruto that says; “A plate of food is power in a child’s hands”.

Thank you.”

Additional Resources:

Explore the GCNF School Meal Programs in Africa infographic to learn more about the results of the 2024 Global Survey of School Meal Programs ?.?