According to the 1996 World food summit, food security is defined when all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient safe and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life.
Food insecurity has been a major problem for Eastern Africa, especially for countries that suffers drought, conflicts, and insecurity and extreme poverty. This situation became worse because of the effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic and more recently the War in Ukraine which has stopped the majority the shipment of grains to other parts of the world.
It is no news that with the conflict in South Sudan, a lot of the refugees have been welcomed by the Ugandan Government, which set up various refugee camps amongst which is the Nyumanzi refugee Settlement, Adjumani. In this camp, the School of Peace of the Community of Sant’Egidio provides education to both the refugees from South Sudan and the Ugandan communities.
Undernutrition is a great problem as it impacts the growth and the active life of children, which includes, and it’s not limited to the motivation for studies. Based on data from 2009, it is estimated that the total cost of child malnutrition in Uganda comes to a shocking 5.6% of the country GDP. Families get stuck in the cycle of poverty as a result of the cumulative impacts of malnutrition on health care costs and educational costs (repeated grades, lack of motivation, and reduced productivity) (SOURCE:Unicef ).
At the School of Peace at Nyumanzi refugee Settlement Adjumani, Sant’Egidio is aware of the relationship between a healthy assured daily meal and the active life of the students, one that gives them the motivation for learning and keep them concentrated on school activities.
Every school day, about 1200 healthy meals are distributed to both students and teachers. This food distribution keeps the students healthy and takes away a huge burden from the Parents.
