SFI

The impact of the 2015 El Niño drought to countries in Southern Africa, where upwards of 70% of the population depends on agriculture, severely impacted agricultural production and livestock (FAO, 2016). The ripple effects of low rainfall on future planting, germination, and livestock resulted in populations suffering from increased food insecurity and exposure to disease, impacting long-term nutrition and health, and household economic resources (FAO 2016, WFP, 2016b). Unprecedented drought conditions that had not been seen in over 30 years led to children suffering from stunting and severe malnutrition in an area where it was estimated that close to 16 million people were already food insecure (WFP, 2016b). As a result, children were either not attending school, or, if attending school, not able to concentrate and absorb what they were learning due to hunger. Impacted Southern African governments declared drought emergencies, or confirmed they had reached crisis levels of Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) level 3. In 2017, as a response to such emergency, ADRA commenced the School Feeding Initiative (SFI) programme in Madagascar, Eswatini, Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi. The goal of the programme was to increase the resilience of school-age children and improve their access to education in drought-affected communities in Africa through a supplementary feeding program. Food insecurity crisis was exacerbated with the 2020 COVID-19 crisis and the 2022 Russia-Ukraine war which made the SFI program even more needed and relevant. What started as a humanitarian response activity transitioned into a development programme, adding components in sustainable livelihoods, measuring education and nutrition outcomes, reinforcing community participation, and investing in capacity building of community members and learners in schools.

To this end, the SFI programme trained an average of 20,782 community members in nutrition, child protection, and hygiene and sanitation. XXX school development committee (SDCs) members in Income generating Activities (IGAs) and VSLAs. Furthermore, 38% of learners reported having improved MUAC levels, with Zimbabwe demonstrating an increase of 96% for Kindergarten through Grade 2 in 2022 and 2023 period. School attendance increased by an average of 38.3%, and 197 schools have improved WASH facilities and practices. 709 schools also succeeded in income generating activities such as grain sellers, soap-making, oil pressing machines, peanut butter making machines, agricultural activities, fish farming, poultry, and goat production, VSLAs, mobile money, and cows.