Case studies
The National School Feeding Programme (NSFP) in Lesotho was initiated in 1961 in ten primary schools in Maseru District with support from Save the Children. It was scaled up nationally in 1965 with assistance from the World Food Programme (WFP), eventually covering all public primary schools. Following the introduction of Free Primary Education (FPE) in 2000, the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) committed to providing daily meals to primary school pupils to improve their concentration and learning outcomes, contributing to a 12.6% increase in primary school enrolment. In 2015, the Government of Lesotho, with WFP support, adopted a National School Feeding Policy aimed at ensuring sustainable, nutritious meals for all primary school learners every school day, sourced from local producers and fully implemented by national actors. While the programme is coordinated and funded centrally by the MOET, District School Feeding Committees support community participation at the school level.
The objectives of this case study include presenting an introduction to the country profile, outlining the design and implementation of school feeding programmes, describing their monitoring and evaluation processes, and highlighting lessons learned, best practices, and challenges.