Final: Due to civil unrest, WFP found that its ability to deliver food aid was impeded by the violence. Major roads outside Gulu, Kitgum and Pader municipalities remained insecure and inaccessible without military escort.

School feeding operations in Uganda originally focused on students in the drought-stricken and chronically food deficit areas of the Karamoja region. Activities were then expanded to reach districts affected by the rebel insurgency in Gulu, Kitgum and Bundibugyo, and to the refugee hosting sub-counties in Arua, Moyo and Adjumani districts. In these areas, the program targeted students whose families had been forced into encampment due to civil strife. WFP originally planned to serve 259,750 beneficiaries. The surge in violence, however, forced many schools operating in Individually Displaced Persons (IDP) camps to close in 2002. As a result, WFP was only able to feed 229,749 pre-school and primary school children and a few secondary school children. Of those, 19,477 primary school girls received take-home rations.

Midterm: The project is expected to increase and maintain school attendance for 60,150 beneficiaries. Enrollment rates for both boys and girls have increased by almost 10% over the last year. US contributed commodities, with the exception of corn, are blended together to prepare a morning porridge for the school children. Students also receive an additional hot meal during the day and evening meals are provided to students who reside in school-managed dormitories.

In order to promote girl’s attendance, a take-home ration of 300 grams of cereal is given to all girls attending day, pre-primary, and primary schools. In addition, parents, primarily mothers, who attend adult literacy classes at the schools receive a take-home ration containing 300 grams of corn.

The targeted area, Karamoja, is a drought-stricken and chronically food-deficit region in northeastern Uganda. Even in good years, the grain deficit alone averages 14,000 tons. Every year between 100,000 and 180,000 people in Karimojong face severe food shortages during the preharvest lean season (May to August). Small children, elderly individuals, women, and people with disabilities are the most vulnerable during these periods.

Within Uganda, Karamoja has the worst social indicators of any region in the country. Literacy and enrollment rates as well as education and gender-related indices are three to four times below national averages. Out of the population aged 15 and over, only 6.8% have completed primary school. The literacy rate is 18% for men and 6% for women. The majority of primary schools only offer the first three years of schooling. Young boys are traditionally required to herd cattle, while young girls complete domestic chores and agricultural work.

During much of 2002, Uganda faced increasing civil unrest as a result of uprisings from the rebel group known as the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA). In June 2002, fighting intensified and expanded beyond the traditional areas of conflict (Gulu, Kitgum and Pader districts) to strike Lira, Apac, Soroti, Katakwi, Kumi and Kotido. The LRA targeted civilians by ambushing vehicles, planting an unknown number of landmines and burning IDP camps, Catholic missions and health centers.

An estimated 800,000 people were displaced from their homes as a result of the armed conflict. Internally displaced populations became increasingly dependent on humanitarian assistance for survival while continuing disruption of economic activities hampered the general population’s capacity to produce or buy food.

Child abductions by the LRA also increased, especially in the Gulu district. From June 2002 to June 2003, 8,400 children were abducted by the LRA rebels compared to 100 during the same period in the previous year. The LRA consists almost entirely of children who were abducted from their homes or schools and then forced to attack and kill their own (Acholi) people. These young "soldiers" comprise the insurgent frontlines against the Ugandan army.

Final: The WFP school feeding program supports the Government of Uganda’s long-term education strategy as well as its universal primary education policy. The initiative aims to increase access to education while alleviating the effects of food insecurity. In Uganda, household food insecurity negatively impacts attendance and student learning, especially in conflict-affected areas.

The school-feeding initiative in Karamoja targets pastoralist children who are unable to attend formal schools. Since the program started, teachers have reported sustained and regular attendance and improved student concentration during class. A small component of the program supports functional adult literacy courses to sensitize communities to the importance of education and encourage them to enroll their children in school.

In cooperation with the Ministry of Health, a de-worming program was implemented for children in all WFP-assisted schools. Treatment has significantly enhanced the nutritional impact of food rations.

Midterm: Food aid in Uganda has two main functions. First and foremost, it is an incentive for children and parents to attend formal schools, alternative education programs, vocational training, and adult literacy classes. Second, it provides nutritional and dietary support in food-deficit locations.

The morning porridge is cooked and distributed to students at 10:00 a.m. and again at 1:00 p.m. Cooks are hired and paid by the schools, either through Universal Primary Education (UPE) program allocated funds, and/or through parent contributions. WFP does not make any provisions to pay the cooks. Take-home rations are distributed every Friday upon completing the week’s attendance.

USDA contributed the following commodities and quantities for direct feeding purposes:

Other donor support: The Ministry of Education and Sports contributes 25% to the program’s internal transportation, shipping, and handling costs. This accounts for $30 per metric ton. In relation to the 7,280 metric ton US donation, the Government of Uganda contributed $218,400.

The Universal Primary Education program was launched to ensure that the disadvantaged have free access to primary education. Under this program, funds are provided to targeted schools to cover the cost of school registration, uniforms, books, teachers, equipment, cooks, and other required school resources that cannot be paid by the parents. The Ministry of Education also pays the staff and monitoring costs of the project-monitoring unit that is responsible for implementing the school feeding program. Traditionally, Ugandan parents are required to pay for these basic costs.

While students continued to receive a bowl of CSB porridge during the morning break, midday meals consisted of maize meal, pulses and vegetable oil. In areas with extremely limited delivery capacity, school feeding can only offer a single serving of porridge during one of the designated meal times.

In addition to the Universal Primary Education Program funds, parent contributions help fund the construction of learning centers, kitchens and food-stores. Parents also provide cooking fuel, water and the labor needed to prepare school meals.

Enrollment and Attendance: The GFEI contribution enabled WFP to expand assistance operations and feed 229,749 children - 121,751 boys and 107,998 girls attending pre-primary, primary and some secondary schools. During the same period, the program served some 10,084 students in adult learning centers.

The figure represents an increase of almost 80% over the number of students (126,150) WFP served under two separate programs during the previous year. Take-home rations were issued to an additional 214 girls attending day schools in the Karamoja region, for a total of 19,477.

Performance: Student academic performance reportedly improved as a result of regular school attendance and increased concentration in class. Teachers credit the improvement to the provision of meals. They observed that the food kept children in class and alleviated the short-term hunger and restlessness that often affect students in Uganda.

In addition, the Government began providing incentives to teachers posted in remote and difficult areas where WFP targets its operations. The incentives attracted the additional and qualified teachers necessary for instructing the larger numbers of students in WFP-assisted schools.

Final: WFP was forced to suspend some of its operations in Northern Uganda during the height of the conflict. In addition, insecurity at the IDP camps and prolonged drought in the Karamoja region prevented the completion of the planned tree-planting program.

Midterm: The immediate objectives of the school feeding program are to:

This program was designed to support the following measurable output/outcomes:

Sustainability: To promote sustainability, community sensitization campaigns have been undertaken to mobilize parents to freely contribute cereals during times of surplus. In addition, school gardens/nurseries are being established. The program includes a reduction in take-home entitlements in areas where enrollment and retention targets have been attained, while maintaining assistance to those in need. Community contributions, both in kind and cash support the program and will contribute to a sustainable operation.

Other Donor Support: In addition to the GFEI commodities, the Uganda Country office received 100 MT of pulses from Denmark, 2,600 MT of cereals from Germany, 2,600 MT of cereals (locally procured) from the USA, 100 MT of pulses (locally procured) from the USA, 250 MT of vegetable oil from the USA, and 100 MT of salt from Portugal. These supplemental contributions made it possible to prepare culturally appropriate and appealing meals for participating children.

The 5,750 MT contribution is valued at USD $3,369,500.

The Government of Sweden contributed USD $12,500 towards the purchase of cooking utensils making it possible to serve the larger numbers of children assisted during the year.

Parents and other community members contributed resources and labor for the construction of kitchens and other needed infrastructure.

Sustainability: WFP provides food support to functional adult learners and alternative basic education programs in Karamoja. The food acts as an incentive to encourage attendance during parental training courses. These courses and other parallel efforts stress the importance of education and help to change attitudes about formal education and the potential role parents and the community can play in the education process. Following the courses, more parents volunteered for meal preparation activities and help collect the wood needed to cook school meals.

WFP was involved in similar exercises for the school management committees. After the sensitization efforts, all of the school committees decided to form food management committees to help secure and maintain donated foods.

School gardens have been established in seven schools and 20,000 trees have been planted. Each institution receiving food assistance is required to establish a tree nursery. Similarly, each student and adult benefiting from this program will be responsible for planting and maintaining one tree per year.

CIDA provided US$ 50,000 to help support a WFP de-worming campaign. The project launched a survey in the GFEI-supported districts to determine the prevalence and intensity of intestinal worm infestations among school children. Teachers were also trained in the administration of the vermicidal drugs and helped distribute them to the students.

The President of the Republic of Uganda commissioned an initiative to promote AIDS education and prevention among primary school students. The Ministry of Education and WFP will explore joint actions that could promote STD awareness and prevention.

The Ministry of Health, with the support of the World Bank, initiated a school health services effort to pilot health and hygiene issues.

UNICEF has contributed water-harvesting tanks to selected schools to collect clean drinking and cooking water and contribute to improved sanitation. Participation of WFP-assisted schools is being discussed by the two agencies.

Challenges: Increases in school enrollment as a result of school feeding have strained already limited resources in the areas of classroom space, numbers of qualified teachers and available instructional materials. The Government of Uganda has appealed to donors for increased support to help address these areas of need.

Sustaining the school feeding program in the arid, rebel-affected region of Karamoja remains a challenge. Initiatives are underway to start school farms where conditions permit.

The words of an eight year-old female student from the Bundibugyo District Model Public School: "When I arrive home from school I don’t have to ask for lunch because we have had lunch at school," she explained. "Before the WFP feeding program, I used to go home for lunch, collecting the firewood that would be used to cook the food on the way. Then when I went back, I was tired and late. But now, I don’t have to think about that."