In an effort to improve nutrition and food safety outcomes, Fort Portal City and Kabarole District have integrated nutrition programming into primary schools. This initiative addresses a critical issue—four in every ten children in the Tooro region are stunted. Contributing factors include limited knowledge about nutrition, inadequate dietary diversity, and insufficient care for mothers and children. Moreover, food safety concerns need urgent attention.
Primary schools have become pivotal in promoting sustainable food systems by educating students on proper nutrition practices and safe food production and consumption. Schools play a crucial role in developing children’s behaviours, as they are part of a larger social network that shapes eating patterns and attitudes. Children learn not only from their peers and teachers but also from their families, communities, and media. Schools are, therefore, natural hubs for nutrition education.
KRC-Uganda, through the Mpanga Super Farmers Program (MSFP) and in partnership with Iles de Paix (IDP) and the Hivos Healthy Food Africa project, supports nutrition clubs in five primary schools: Karambi, Kasisi, Kahunga-Bunyonyi, Njara, and Kinyamasika. These clubs serve as a platform for disseminating vital nutrition and food safety information. The program also involves training for headteachers, club patrons, and cooks on nutrition and safe food handling practices, including the use of clean planting materials and bio-rations to manage pests and diseases.
Karambi P/S nutrition club has held the flag high in disseminating nutrition and food safety messages and practices to the rest of the pupils and communities. The school has a dedicated nutrition club patron, headteacher and teachers who have integrated basic nutrition and food safety information in their science and agriculture classes. The nutrition club has reached most children through internally organized debates, drama skits and poems on nutrition during assemblies on a regular basis. The school has provided opportunities to practice healthy eating and food safety in their school feeding program, and through the sale of food on their premises. There has been “spread the effect” by involving families in their children’s nutrition education. Silver, one of the male pupils in primary five described how he is contributing to decision in the composition of meals to be consumed in their household utilizing the nutrition knowledge from Karambi primary school.
The nutrition clubs have also established school gardens to provide hands-on learning experiences, with a focus on diversifying crops and incorporating pest-repellent plants. These efforts aim to strengthen agroecological practices and promote sustainable farming methods in school farms. Through these programs, KRC-Uganda is empowering young students with the knowledge and tools to make healthier food choices, improve food safety, and contribute to their households and communities. By integrating nutrition education into the school environment, these initiatives are fostering long-term change and helping to combat malnutrition in the Tooro region.
By: Eric Oteba
Food systems and Nutrition Manager-KRC-Uganda
