An important step towards better nutrition and greater access to education for children in the districts of Koinadugu and Falaba in Sierra Leone. Thanks to the ‘Wi Eat Waiting We dea Plant’ project implemented by CAUSE Canada Sierra Leone Partnership (CCSLP) as part of the Project to Promote an Integrated School Feeding Model in West Africa (PMAI-AO), co-financed by ECOWAS and the Spanish Cooperation, around 400 primary school pupils in these districts now receive balanced meals every day.

The project aims to combat malnutrition, improve school attendance and support local economies. The meals distributed are designed with the expertise of nutritionists to guarantee a balanced intake for the children, prepared from local produce supplied by women farmers in the region, thereby promoting the empowerment of women and boosting the agricultural sector, and adapted to the needs of the children, with varied and nutritious menus.

This initiative is part of the ECOWAS vision for sustainable food security and inclusive community development.

Thanks to this project, school feeding is becoming a pillar of human capital development and a business opportunity for local agricultural producers.