Children's welfare
School meals
A hot lunch that brings children to class and helps them learn.
Illustrative photo: bill wegener / Unsplash
Objective for the 2026 funding round
Serve a hot, nutritious lunch every school day to 3,000 children, so hunger no longer keeps them out of class or stops them learning.
Who it reaches: Primary schools in food-insecure areas where many children arrive having eaten nothing.
Target$73,551
Funding for this cause closes in
From $75: a term of school lunches for one child.
The need
Many children walk to school without breakfast and cannot concentrate by mid-morning. A daily meal is often the single biggest reason a poor family keeps a child in school, and the only balanced meal that child gets.
Why give to this cause
- A child cannot learn on an empty stomach; for many pupils, the school lunch is the main meal of the day.
- A school meal costs very little per child, so a small gift feeds a pupil for a whole term.
- Meals are cooked by parent volunteers and recorded daily, so you can see exactly how many were served.
What your gift does
- $75a term of school lunches for one child
- $225a full school year of lunches for one child
- $1,200a school kitchen's cooking stove and utensils
Where your donation goes
The planned budget for this cause. Every quarter, the field report shows what was actually spent against each line.
- FoodMaize, beans, vegetables and fortified flour, bought locally where possible.55%$124 of $225
- Cooks and kitchen running costsPaid cooks, fuel and water.18%$41 of $225
- Kitchens and fuel-efficient stovesSafe cooking spaces that use half the firewood.12%$27 of $225
- School gardensVegetables grown by pupils and parents to top up the meals.7%$16 of $225
- Monitoring and reportingMeal counts, attendance and growth checks each term.8%$18 of $225
How we do it
- 1
We partner with schools that have a parent committee willing to cook and manage stores.
- 2
Maize, beans and vegetables are bought from local farmers where possible.
- 3
Daily meal registers are kept by the school and checked on visits.
- 4
Schools add school gardens so part of the food is grown on site.
The impact your gift will have
- Children who might come to school hungry, or not at all, get a hot meal every school day and can concentrate in class.
- Attendance rises because the meal gives families another reason to send children to school.
- Buying food from local farmers puts money into the same community the school serves.
What we measure and report
Targets for the 2026 funding round. Results against each one are published in the quarterly field report sent to every donor to this cause.
| Measure | Target |
|---|---|
| Children fed daily | 3,000 |
| Meals served per term | 180,000 |
| Food bought from local farmers | 70% |
| Change in attendance vs. prior year | +10% |
Join in the cause today
Make an impactful change in Africa.
Donate to school mealsFund school meals
Your gift goes to this programme. You'll get an email receipt now and the field report every quarter.
Funding for this cause closes in
Choose an amount
- $75a term of school lunches for one child
- $225a full school year of lunches for one child
- $1,200a school kitchen's cooking stove and utensils
Gifts start at $50. Choose your own amount on the next page.
More children's welfare causes
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$70 two months of food for one child living with a relative.
Target$60,246
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Children's welfareKeep children in school
Fees, uniforms and supplies for children about to drop out.
$50 exercise books, pens and school bags for two pupils.
Target$45,203
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Children's welfareChild sponsorship
Monthly support for one child's schooling, health and meals, with updates.
$78 two months of sponsorship.
Target$133,616
DonateQuestions donors ask
How can I sponsor a child in Africa from the United States?
Choose Child sponsorship and give online in US dollars. Your support covers one child's schooling, health checks and meals, and you receive regular updates on their progress. Choose a cause, enter your amount in US dollars and pay securely by Visa, Mastercard, Apple Pay or cryptocurrency (Bitcoin, Ethereum, USDT and 100+ coins). You get an email receipt straight away and a field report every quarter.
What is the best way to help orphans in Africa?
Supporting orphaned children within their own families, rather than in orphanages, is what child-welfare experts recommend. Our orphan care programme gives guardians food and school support and sends caseworkers to visit every household monthly.
How much does it cost to feed a child at school in Africa?
School meals cost very little per child. The School meals cause shows exactly what each gift buys, such as a term of hot lunches for a pupil, and we report the number of meals served.