It's Hard to Learn When You're Hungry!

Welcome to our first report on our widened school lunches programme! Building on the tremendous success of the programme as delivered at Pizz School in Zambia for a number of years now, it is time to expand the initiative to other centres in both Zambia and other countries where it is clear that vulnerable children and young people will substantially benefit from a school lunches programme in the way that they have at Pizz.

Our expansion of the school lunches programme begins with Muko School in Bugarama, southern Rwanda. Our colleagues at HATW Jersey have worked with Muko for many years, developing and enhancing the school to enable it to provide the greatest service to the greatest number. The school has recently spearheaded a fantastic new initiative to encourage 150 of Bugarama’s highly vulnerable street children into school, to give them an education and a brighter future. As part of this commitment, Muko School will not only educate the children, but provide them with two meals a day, seven days a week, giving them the nutrients they need to grow strong and healthy, as well as the necessary fuel to see them through the school day. After all – It’s hard to learn when you’re hungry.

Support is needed for these meals, however. Food costs in Rwanda are rising, and there is increased responsibility for schools to find ways to fund lunches. Muko School has already taken positive steps towards this, including renting farmland for the establishment of school vegetable patches to supplement and diversify the food on offer, as well as having procured a grinding machine that enables the school to produce its own maize flour. Whilst Muko School will continue to explore ideas to reduce the cost of providing food for pupils, feeding an additional 150 children is no small undertaking, and further assistance is currently needed. Though the generosity of our supporters, HATW is well placed to provide a helping hand as Muko School embarks on an initiative that will help transform the lives of Rwandan children living rough though poverty and neglect.

We look forward to bringing you more news on this exciting new work as the programme progresses; thank you so much for your support.