Despite the overwhelming number of priorities mainly attributable to the efforts to steer the national economy back on the track after disturbances that came with the Covid-19 outbreak, the government has decided to inject an additional Rwf5bn towards the school feeding programme. This programme, which was initiated to ensure children do not drop out of school simply because they cannot have a meal at school, has over the years gained more funding from the national purse and officials promise to continue injecting more for this just cause. The few years the initiative has been in place have seen tangible results, especially before the outbreak of Covid-19 but challenges remain. How it works is that every child in pre-primary, primary and secondary school must get a meal while at school. Each meal is valued at Rwf150. The government appropriates Rwf56 for every child, meaning that the remaining Rwf94 should be covered by the parents. Schools have been asked to be as flexible as possible and many of them allow parents to contribute their part in kind. Some will deliver foodstuffs at school and given value commensurate to the money owed, while others undertake part time work for school to cover their contribution. Despite this flexibility however, most schools are still grappling with funding gaps. They will use up the grants sent to them by government with hope that the parents will honour their pledges which hardly comes in some instances. It is foolhardy to think that government will continue digging into the public coffers towards this initiative to a point when the full meal will be covered. There are many other priorities that need funding. We must get to work; the schools, the business community, civil society, and most importantly, the parents. For sustainability, schools should initiate income-generating projects, especially, where they have land, do farming to supplement the grants they get from government. Parents who cannot afford to pay can make it up by working on such farms. Other non-state actors like the business community and civil society should also come on board to back this noble cause. The biggest role however is with the parents; the fact that they cannot afford a meal – which is highly subsidised – for their children is a wakeup call for them to take family planning seriously. This country has very ambitious aspirations and for us to achieve them, every capable citizen must be able to play their role.
