Sierra Leone launches €2 million school feeding upgrade
The European Union and WFP will support the initiative for two years to improve monitoring and transparency.
Sierra Leone's Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education (MBSSE), the European Union (EU), and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) have launched a €2 million initiative to enhance the National School Feeding Programme. This two-year project aims to improve monitoring, transparency, and accountability in managing school feeding activities across the country. The initiative, funded by the EU and supported by WFP, will strengthen the government's ability to gather and use reliable information for programme management.
The intervention is expected to benefit over one million children by ensuring better resource allocation and evidence-based decision-making. The official launch occurred on Monday, 9 November 2026, in Freetown, bringing together senior officials from MBSSE, the National School Feeding Secretariat, the EU, WFP, and other development partners. This effort addresses the need for stronger monitoring systems due to existing manual reporting and fragmented data collection that hinder effective planning.
New digital technologies like Open Data Kit and School Connect will be introduced to facilitate real-time data gathering and management. The project prioritizes government ownership and capacity development for long-term sustainability. Minister of Basic and Senior Secondary Education, Conrad Sackey, stated that the National School Feeding Secretariat will transition to systematically managing evidence for policy and operational decisions over the next 24 months.
Why it mattersThe National School Feeding Programme will receive improved monitoring and transparency, benefiting over one million children with better resource allocation.