The Sindh government, in partnership with the World Food Programme (WFP), has announced a Rs 578.39 million School Meals Project aimed at improving nutrition, school attendance, and academic performance in the Malir District. This one-year pilot initiative will implemented during the 2025–2026 academic year and set to benefit over 11,000 primary students from class one to five.
Under this cost-sharing scheme, the Sindh government will contribute Rs462.71 million—roughly 80% of the total cost—while the remaining Rs115.68 million will funded by the WFP. The pilot programme will provide daily hot meals to children enrolled in targeted peri-urban schools of Malir, supporting efforts to combat classroom hunger and encourage regular attendance, particularly among girls.
School Feeding Programme to Boost Education and Nutrition
The School Meals Project discussed in a high-level meeting at the Chief Minister’s House, where Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and WFP Country Director Coco Ushiyama reviewed strategies to strengthen the school feeding initiative. Discussions also included extending existing nutrition programmes like Nashonuma and Mamta to better address maternal and child malnutrition across the province.
The meals, designed to meet students’ dietary needs, will include lentils, rice or bread, vegetables, and fruits. A centralised kitchen system will be set up to prepare, package, and distribute these meals efficiently. The Sindh Food Authority, along with a designated Food Safety Officer, will oversee hygiene and nutritional standards to ensure safe and quality food delivery.
Focus on Monitoring and Sustainable Impact
To ensure effective implementation, WFP will manage operations through a third-party contractor and lead the monitoring and evaluation components. Baseline and endline surveys will conducted to assess the impact of the programme on enrolment, attendance, and academic performance.
The targeted schools will selected based on infrastructure readiness—clean water, sanitation, and minimum enrolment criteria. The initiative also aims to maintain a daily attendance rate of at least 70%. Performance will tracked using data from the Education Management Information System (EMIS) and school records.
Potential Expansion Across Sindh
If successful, the School Meals Project in Malir could serve as a model for province-wide expansion. With strong collaboration between the Sindh government and WFP, the initiative expected to play a key role in improving educational outcomes and addressing malnutrition among school-age children in underserved communities.
, has announced a Rs 578.39 million School Meals Project aimed at improving nutrition, school attendance, and academic performance in the Malir District. This one-year pilot initiative will implemented during the 2025–2026 academic year and set to benefit over 11,000 primary students from class one to five.){kind=link}