As Rwanda gears up to celebrate Umuganura, the National Harvest Day, on August 2, it is important to start reflecting on the oldest cultural holiday in a broader perspective.

This year’s theme encourages every Rwandan to support the national school feeding programme where all children are fed nutritious food at school.

Through the programme that aims at among others curtailing school dropout, the government covers 90 percent of the school feeding cost per child, with parents contributing approximately Rwf 1,000 per trimester.

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Since the start of the School Feeding Policy, school dropouts have dropped significantly, with the most recent development being in 2021, where primary school dropout rates have decreased by 4 percent.

This important campaign, which not only helps children with nutritious foods, is also beneficial to local farmers who get readily available markets for their produce. It eliminates the issue of malnutrition and starvation for children who wouldn’t otherwise afford eating at school.

School feeding is everyone’s business. It is a duty of companies, communities, and persons to ensure that Rwanda’s future is secured by keeping children at school and ensuring they are actually learning.

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In June this year, the Ministry of Education in partnership with Mobile Money Rwanda and Umwalimu SACCO launched the #DusangireLunch campaign that started which educates parents and communities about the importance of providing nutritious meals to every child in school, and encourages them to support the cause.

This Umuganura should not just be a reminder of a beautiful sharing culture we have. It should also remind us that sharing goes beyond the maize and sorghum bread enjoyed on one day, to food security and nutrition. Let us all contribute to the #DusangireLunch campaign.

No contribution is insignificant. The magic is in working together to give our children a future that they deserve.