Maputo, Sept. 22, 2026 (Lusa) - The non-governmental organisation Save the Children plans to distribute 75 million meals to Mozambican schoolchildren by 2031, through the integrated school feeding programme «Nutrir para Aprender» (Feed to Learn), launched on Tuesday.
Save the Children Mozambique Director Ilaria Malunza announced the initiative at its launch in Manhiça district today; it aims to improve children's learning, nutrition and well-being.
The US Department of Agriculture's international McGovern-Dole Food for Education and Child Nutrition programme funds the «Nutrir para Aprender» project, which will cover 245 schools in the districts of Manhiça, Matutuíne, Moamba and Magude, benefiting around 80,000 pupils a year.
«That is why this programme is so important. ‘Nutrir para Aprender' seeks to help improve children's learning, nutrition and wellbeing, reinforcing the efforts the government of Mozambique has already been making in these areas,» she said.
According to the official, over the six years of implementation, the project is expected to provide 75 million school meals and to roll out initiatives in the areas of literacy, health and nutrition, infrastructure, water and sanitation, as well as improving access to essential health services, helping children to fulfil their full potential.
Malunza noted that supporting children's education and nutrition remains one of the most effective ways to promote development, stability and lasting opportunities, at a time when the world faces multiple challenges.
«Investing in a child who learns and is well-nourished today is investing in a stronger community tomorrow. It is investing in the stability, prosperity and future development of a nation,» she added.
At the launch of the programme, which is expected to run for six years, the Governor of Maputo Province, Manuel Tule, described the initiative as crucial to reinforcing the government's efforts to promote access to education, food security and the holistic development of children and communities.
According to the governor, the project aligns with the government's target of reducing chronic malnutrition to 30% by 2029, as part of the Government's Five-Year Programme 2025–2029.
«This initiative promotes food and nutrition education, encourages healthy lifestyles and creates opportunities for the development of knowledge and skills, including in the areas of agricultural production and sustainable resource management,» he said.
For Tule, better nutritional conditions for children also mean creating the conditions for more effective learning and the development of healthier citizens who are better prepared to contribute to the country's development.
The governor also reaffirmed the provincial government's commitment to deepening cooperation with the United States to promote an education system that is increasingly inclusive, equitable and capable of meeting children's needs.
«May the ‘Nutrir para Aprender' project be a concrete expression of our collective determination to place children at the heart of our communities,» he concluded.
Save the Children said in a press release that the meals will initially consist of fortified rice, peas and oil supplied by the United States. From the third year of implementation onward, the programme will incorporate 2,390 metric tonnes of locally sourced fruit, vegetables, maize flour and nhemba beans from participating districts in Maputo Province, helping strengthen the local economy.
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