By Shalom Ndiku, Director of Public Affairs, Food4Education
By 2030, Africa will be home to the world’s largest youth workforce, a generation whose potential could define the next century of global growth. Yet across the continent, millions of children still arrive at school hungry. Hunger remains one of the most persistent barriers to learning, costing African countries an estimated 16.5% of GDP each year in lost productivity, according to the African Union. The truth is simple: we cannot unlock Africa’s human capital if our children cannot concentrate in class.
School meals are not an act of charity, but a true investment in public infrastructure. A nutritious and consistent meal is as crucial to national productivity as a classroom, a road, or an internet connection. Failing to invest in school feeding means compromising future economic potential: every child attending school hungry represents a loss of productivity and human capital for the country.
At Food4Education, we have seen what is possible when financing and partnerships are designed for sustainability. What began in 2012 serving 25 children has grown to more than 600,000 daily meals and over 150 million in total. This expansion was not just about scale; it was about structure. Government co-invests in infrastructure. Parents contribute small, affordable amounts per meal through digital payments. Philanthropy provides catalytic capital that de-risks innovation. Each part reinforces the other.
This “hand in hand” approach helps school feeding programs outlast election cycles, remain affordable for families, and stay resilient against donor fatigue. It is a model of shared ownership and accountability that transforms feeding from a social program into an economic engine. UNESCO estimates that every $1 invested in school meals generates up to $20 in returns through improved health, education, and productivity. Few public investments deliver such reliable returns or multiplier effects.
Still, financing remains the greatest bottleneck. In Kenya, national allocations for school feeding have dropped from roughly KSh 5 billion (about $37 million) in FY 2023/24 to KSh 3 billion (about $23 million) in the current fiscal year. This reduction comes just as momentum for scale is building. Such volatility undermines confidence and continuity across the ecosystem, from smallholder farmers to kitchen workers to technology providers.
If Africa is serious about investing in its youth, school feeding should be institutionalized as a protected budget line, not a discretionary expense. Donors and development finance institutions should match public commitment with blended, catalytic financing that bridges gaps and rewards performance. The private sector, from agricultural suppliers to logistics firms, should see school feeding as both social impact and a platform for local industry growth.
Africa’s future financing conversations cannot focus only on closing aid gaps. They must prioritize building systems where public and private capital work in tandem to deliver sustainable public goods. School feeding is one of the most immediate and proven ways to do so.
Feeding children is not a welfare act. It is a strategic investment in Africa’s human capital and economic resilience. With blended financing and public–private partnerships working hand in hand, school feeding can move from a patchwork of programs to a continent-wide platform for prosperity, because the future cannot be built on an empty stomach.
