World Vision Uganda has launched a campaign dubbed "Enough" aimed at creating a conducive environment in schools where children can access and acquire quality education.
The campaign focuses on ensuring learners have nutritious and adequate meals while at school.
The launch comes after a recent school meals assessment conducted in 39 sub counties, including Busakira, revealed that only 28.5% of schools provided both break and lunch to learners.
This means that many children are studying on empty stomachs, affecting their health and learning abilities.
The assessment also revealed that 55.1% of households in eastern Uganda face moderate or severe food insecurity, and only 46% have adequate food frequency.
Additionally, 29% of children in Mayuge district are at risk of malnutrition, according to an assessment by Act for Africa.
Mayuge grapples with food insecurity following most families decision to embrace sugarcane growing without sparing land to grow food crops coinciding with land that has narrowed due to population growth.
Malnutrition has severe consequences on children's physical, health, and general well-being, depriving them of their full potential.
The campaign aims to mobilize communities, partners, and power holders to impact millions of children in eastern Uganda by 2026, with a vision of ending hunger and malnutrition.
Charles Ojangole, Regional Program Manager for World Vision Eastern Region, emphasized the importance of prioritizing data on hungry and malnourished girls and boys to inform policy and funding decisions.
"We want to ensure children enjoy better food security, nutrition, and resilience through provision of school meals, linking water sanitation and health (WASH) to nutrition," he said.
Michael Higenyi Bory, the LC V Chairperson of Butaleja District, welcomed the program, noting that it comes at an opportune time when the need is high.
"Many districts are struggling with rising statistics of malnourished children due to backward parents who sell eggs to buy pancakes for their children, and young mothers who are unable to feed their offspring well," he said.
Elijah Kagoda the Kaliro district boss contended that a section of the locals still lag behind, an issue that calls for upscaling interventions to bring them to a know of the need to fight hanger and the essence of feeding children at school rather than leaving in the confines of the backwardness of studying with empty stomachs.
The campaign seeks to create a world where children have enough nourishing food to thrive.
By ensuring access to quality education and nutritious meals, World Vision Uganda aims to empower children to reach their full potential and build a brighter future for themselves and their communities.
The government of Uganda has made considerable progress in improvement of child nutrition outcomes under 5 years reflected in the international and national commitments namely; SDG2, Malabo declaration 2014, Vision 2040, NDPIII, operation wealth creation and the parish development among others.
There is a reduction in child stunting from 29% - 24.4%, wasting from over 5% -3.2%.