Eswatini youth delegate highlights child hunger
A 15-year-old delegate described schoolchildren fighting over food at a school visit.
Eswatini's 15-year-old child delegate, Hlelolwenkosi Nsibandze, witnessed schoolchildren fighting over a plate of rice and beans due to insufficient food at a school in a poor community. The official delegate, supported by World Vision, shared this experience to urge global governments to increase efforts against child hunger and malnutrition.
Nsibandze stated that the scene deeply affected him, making him reflect on the struggles of children with little food at home and their reliance on school meals. He noted that inadequate food impacts children's health, growth, concentration, and ability to learn, warning that child hunger remains a significant challenge in Africa and globally.
He also pointed out that only 23 African countries have policies addressing child hunger, affecting an estimated 73 million children on the continent. Nsibandze welcomed Eswatini's initiative to extend school feeding programmes to weekends, acknowledging that more action is needed to ensure children receive adequate nutrition.