Sierra Leone Puts $6.6 Million Into Daily Hot School Meals for 276,000 Children
The government's contribution to its school feeding program, run with the World Food Programme, also buys food from local smallholder farmers.
See where this is ›FREETOWN, Sierra Leone —
The Government of Sierra Leone has committed SLE 158.4 million, about $6.6 million, to give daily hot meals to more than 276,000 schoolchildren during the 2026-2027 school year, the United Nations World Food Programme announced Nov. 3 in Freetown.
See where this is ›The money comes through the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education for the National School Feeding Programme, which the government leads and WFP helps run with technical, operational and logistical support. The program buys food locally from smallholder farmers, in line with the government's Feed Salone Strategy, WFP said.
In the 2025-2026 school year, more than 257,000 children in more than 1,200 schools received daily meals through the program, and more than 22,000 smallholder farmers gained a market for their crops, according to WFP.
Conrad Sackey, Minister of Basic and Senior Secondary Education, said the contribution “reflects the Government of Sierra Leone's unwavering commitment to the education” and spoke of “creating opportunities for local farmers and communities.”
“By investing in school meals, Sierra Leone is investing in its children and its future,” said Andrew Odero, WFP's representative and country director in Sierra Leone. The release did not say which districts or how many schools will be served this year.
