The government has warned of a possible interruption to the National School Feeding Program (Pronae) due to cuts in certain external funding sources, stressing that the continuity of the program requires a “multisectoral effort.”
According to António Chioze, Director of School Health and Cross-Cutting Issues at the Ministry of Education and Culture (MEC), although school feeding is a government priority, “the State alone cannot fully support the financial, logistical, and operational needs across the country.”
The initiative currently benefits 200,000 children in 340 schools. However, to reverse the current vulnerability and reach the goal of assisting 7 million children, public-private partnerships must be strengthened. “We need a joint approach to stimulate local production and support small farmers. However, climate change and price seasonality are additional challenges,” he said.
In March, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) stated that around 57,000 children in Nampula province could go without school meals this academic year due to a lack of funding. “This funding gap is affecting the school feeding program. The current resources do not allow for its continuation throughout 2025.”
According to the international body, the shortfall also threatens the continuity of the school feeding initiative, which combats food and nutritional insecurity among school-aged children in the country.
In July of last year, the Government of Norway disbursed 264 million meticais to the WFP to strengthen climate-resilient food systems and expand school feeding programs in southern Mozambique.
With that funding, about 500 small-scale farmers diversified their agricultural production, and 17,000 primary school children gained access to nutritious meals to help improve school attendance.
Source: Diário Económico
