Dear Donald & Linda,

Thanks for digging up and sharing this very detailed resources on SFP in Uganda;

Whereas there have been some changes over the last decade since this report, the fundamental
argument remains (as you rightly highlighted the last time); Government continues to take a back
seat and shift the function of school feeding to parents through the Parent Led approach, the full
potential of school feeding programs in the country has not been reached.

The draft School Feeding Policy 2008 has not been passed since, and the policy frameworks
supporting the SFP are mainly still enshrined in the Uganda Education Act 2008 and the Food &
Nutrition Policy. In-fact, a review of the draft SFP 2008 policy would need to be made, based on
recent evidence and context. The momentum to support such a policy, has not been sustained, and
yet sustained advocacy with certain interest groups (who have periodically shown interest) is likely
to yield some positive fruits, cognizant of public & political interest around the topic.

In the same vein, the government resource allocations to school meals have been very minimal, as
highlighted in the report. A national school feeding working group/multisectoral committee now
exists at the Ministry of Education & Sports.

The number of learners in primary school has increased slightly from 7.9m to about 9m, with
combined learners across all levels (including secondary) reaching 15.9m learners. This makes, even
a stronger case for a national SFP.

WFP, has since the years scaled down the SFPs in Karamoja mainly due to resource constraints,
climate change and emergencies in other parts of the country, threatening the progress in school
enrolment made in the region in the past decades.

As highlighted in the report, the inequities persist; Learners in private schools, with robust school
management are more likely to have food in school (at a cost or other forms of contribution)
compared to public schools which are still under the parlay of the Education Act that forbids
payment of fees for food (or other services) within the schools. So, the poor, are most affected by
these inequities. It is not clear yet to what extend urbanisation and (its associated?) phenomenon of
day schools is changing this land scape in some areas.