School canteens in the DRC: an operationalization plan expected in 30 days' time

As part of the implementation of the school feeding policy led by the Ministry of National Education and New Citizenship, Prime Minister Judith Suminwa Tuluka reminded members of the government of the need to accelerate efforts to get school cafeterias up and running. 

During the 81st meeting of the Council of Ministers, the head of government emphasized the importance of investing in school feeding, noting that it is a strategic lever for human capital development and educational success in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

This initiative follows the official launch of the National School Cafeteria Program in Kalemie, the capital of Tanganyika Province. Organized to mark African School Feeding Day, the event focused on the themes: “Ensuring access to nutritious meals, safe drinking water, and hygiene” and “Promoting safety and resilience in every investment in school meals.” The choice of Kalemie illustrates the government’s commitment to embedding educational policies across all regions of the country.

The program is part of the implementation of the 2025–2030 National School Feeding Strategy, developed by the government with the support of technical and financial partners. This strategy serves as the national roadmap for establishing a sustainable school feeding system aimed at improving student nutrition, enhancing academic performance, and strengthening human capital.

To illustrate the impact of this policy, the head of government cited the example of Kifungo School, where the school cafeteria has been operating since 2009. The results achieved are significant: student enrollment has risen from 260 to nearly 600, the graduation rate ranges between 80% and 90%, retention rates stand at 60%, while the dropout rate has fallen from 6% to just 0.5%.

These results are based in particular on a close partnership between the government and several partners, including the World Food Programme (WFP) and the French Development Agency (AFD), which ensure the delivery of food supplies. Local communities also contribute to the program’s success through handling and agricultural production in community fields dedicated to legumes and grains, thereby strengthening local ownership of the initiative.

Despite these advances, the Prime Minister acknowledged the existence of persistent challenges, particularly in terms of logistics and regarding the national coverage of school cafeterias, currently estimated at around 8%. In light of this situation, the relevant sectoral ministers have been instructed to work closely with the Ministries of Budget and Finance to ensure the coordinated and sustainable implementation of this education policy.

With this in mind, Judith Suminwa Tuluka requested that a detailed plan for the operationalization of school cafeterias be submitted to her within 30 days. This document must specify the implementation mechanisms, financing arrangements, monitoring and evaluation mechanisms, and the program’s rollout schedule.

For the Ministry of National Education and New Citizenship, this program represents a further step in consolidating the reforms underway in the education sector. Following the introduction of free public primary education, school cafeterias are seen as a strategic tool for improving school attendance, combating dropout rates, and fostering better learning conditions.

Based on the National School Feeding Strategy (SNAS) 2025–2030, the initiative is built around three main pillars: food sovereignty through local agriculture, student health protection, and the sustainability of the system. The goal is to ensure equitable access to school meals for students across the entire country by 2030.

In its initial phase, the program targets 164 schools located in the provinces of Tanganyika, Lomami, Kasaï-Central, and Kasaï-Oriental for the 2024–2025 school year. The standard menu includes grains, legumes, vegetable oil, and salt, supplemented by produce from community gardens and fields.

Marie Shomba