The Congolese government and the World Food Programme are preparing a new plan that could bring school meals to nearly one million children across the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Prime Minister Judith Suminwa met WFP senior official Carl Skau in Kinshasa on Tuesday, 28 July. The two sides agreed to develop WFP’s next country strategic plan for the DRC, covering 2027 to 2030.
School meals are expected to be one of its major priorities.
The ambition is not only to provide food at school. The proposed model would increasingly purchase ingredients from Congolese small-scale farmers, allowing money spent on school meals to support agricultural families and local cooperatives.
It is a potentially important national programme, but the expansion has not yet reached nearly one million children. The target, budget, provinces and annual rollout schedule must still be detailed in the new strategic plan.
What did the government and WFP agree?
According to the Journal de Kinshasa, the meeting focused on food security, nutrition, school meals and WFP’s support for the Ebola response.
The main long-term decision was to prepare a four-year country strategic plan for 2027–2030.
Within that framework, the government and WFP said they want to accelerate the national school-meals programme and reach nearly one million children.
They also promoted a home-grown school-feeding model. This approach connects schools with nearby farmers so that at least part of the food served to pupils is produced and purchased locally.
EDUCATION
DRC and WFP Target School Meals for One Million Children
Jul 29, 2026
Jul 29, 2026
5 min read
Published
Updated:
The Congolese government and the World Food Programme are preparing a new plan that could bring school meals to nearly one million children across the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Prime Minister Judith Suminwa met WFP senior official Carl Skau in Kinshasa on Tuesday, 28 July. The two sides agreed to develop WFP’s next country strategic plan for the DRC, covering 2027 to 2030.
School meals are expected to be one of its major priorities.
The ambition is not only to provide food at school. The proposed model would increasingly purchase ingredients from Congolese small-scale farmers, allowing money spent on school meals to support agricultural families and local cooperatives.
It is a potentially important national programme, but the expansion has not yet reached nearly one million children. The target, budget, provinces and annual rollout schedule must still be detailed in the new strategic plan.
What did the government and WFP agree?
According to the Journal de Kinshasa, the meeting focused on food security, nutrition, school meals and WFP’s support for the Ebola response.
The main long-term decision was to prepare a four-year country strategic plan for 2027–2030.
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Within that framework, the government and WFP said they want to accelerate the national school-meals programme and reach nearly one million children.
They also promoted a home-grown school-feeding model. This approach connects schools with nearby farmers so that at least part of the food served to pupils is produced and purchased locally.
The meeting therefore established a direction and a target. It did not announce that one million children are already enrolled, that funding has been secured or that nationwide distribution has begun.
Does the DRC already have school canteens?
Yes. The new proposal builds on a programme that has already started on a smaller scale.
Prime Minister Suminwa officially launched the government’s school-canteen initiative in Kalemie, Tanganyika province, in March 2026.
The launch took place at Kifungo Primary School, which had nearly 250 pupils. The Primature said WFP was supporting 78 primary schools in Kalemie at the time.
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The government presented Kalemie as the starting point for progressive national expansion. It also said the programme would be financed with state resources and support from partners including WFP and the French Development Agency.
The national strategy covers 2025–2030 and aims to give pupils at least one balanced meal during the school day.
That means the July meeting did not create school meals from nothing. Its importance lies in the attempt to move from a limited rollout toward a much larger, nationally supported system.
Why can a school meal change a child’s education?
Learning becomes harder when a child arrives in class hungry.
A reliable meal can give pupils a stronger reason to attend school and help families who struggle to provide food every day. It can also support concentration, nutrition and retention, especially in vulnerable or food-insecure communities.
WFP describes school meals as both an education and social-protection measure. Its programmes are designed to support children’s health and learning while reducing some of the financial pressure on households.
The need is especially serious in the DRC. WFP’s country information estimates that 26.5 million people face acute food insecurity.
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How could Congolese farmers benefit?
The local-purchasing component could turn school canteens into regular customers for Congolese farmers.
Instead of depending entirely on food brought from distant locations, schools could buy suitable products from nearby smallholders, cooperatives and community businesses.
That could create demand for locally produced maize, beans, rice, cassava, vegetables, fruit and other foods, depending on provincial production and the nutritional standards adopted for school menus.
The Food and Agriculture Organization says home-grown school feeding can offer small-scale farmers a regular market, create business opportunities and connect agriculture, nutrition and social protection.
The possible chain is simple:
Farmers grow food in or near participating communities.
Schools or programme managers purchase approved products.
Local workers transport, store and prepare the food.
Pupils receive meals during the school day.
Programme spending circulates through local farming communities.
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