"When We Feed a Child, We Are Feeding the Future of Zambia"
President Hichilema launches School Feeding Programme at Kabulonga Boys Secondary School
President Hakainde Hichilema yesterday visited Kabulonga Boys Secondary School in Lusaka for the official launch of the School Feeding Programme, a landmark initiative designed to nourish 4 million learners across Zambia's schools.
The President took time to interact with pupils and teachers as he toured the school, personally serving meals to students during their break and sharing words of encouragement. He reassured learners that Zambia would continue working with its cooperating partners to enhance the programme's sustainability and reach, urging them to work hard and seize the opportunities made possible through education.
President Hichilema directed the Ministries of Education and Agriculture and Livestock to collaborate to ensure the programme's success, with all food for the 4 million learners to be sourced locally. He further instructed the ministries to engage the World Food Programme, a major partner, on the proposal. The President also called for the urgent creation of a database to determine how many learners need to be fed, the type of food required, and the areas from which it should be sourced.
"This initiative strengthens our Government's flagship policy of providing free education for Zambia's children," President Hichilema said, describing the programme as central to his administration's vision of inclusive development where no child is left behind.
The President pointed to a record-breaking Grade 12 pass rate, the highest in the country's history, as evidence that his education reforms are yielding measurable results. He explained that methodical reforms, including the reintroduction of free education, are now aligning and producing outcomes, which is why the government is repositioning education from merely a social service to a key economic sector.
David Thole, a 17-year-old Grade 12 learner and Deputy Head Boy at Kabulonga Boys, said the feeding programme has enabled him to focus solely on his studies and has helped improve attendance and academic performance among learners. Sibeso Mundia, an English and Civic Education teacher who coordinates the programme at the school, confirmed that learner attendance has significantly improved as a result of the initiative.
President Hichilema's visit sends a clear message that Zambia is a nation that puts the next generation first. The School Feeding Programme, backed by local sourcing and international partnership, has the potential to transform education and livelihoods across the country — a model of inclusive development the rest of the region would do well to follow.