Zimbabwe School Meals

Feeding Children for Over a Decade

Zimbabwe, once known as a breadbasket of Africa, has seen years of drought. Food has become a valuable resource. Ongoing inflation has further increased food costs and these multiple years of drought have left many families with few options to feed themselves.

In 2019, the BBC declared Zimbabwe “on the brink of a manmade starvation” with 90% of children experiencing malnourishment. Today, over 1.7 million people, 35% of the population, do not have enough food to eat.

For 14 years we have been working in communities in Zimbabwe to increase the health of children through providing school meals. You, our Canadian donors, have helped us feed so many children nutritious food, safeguarding their futures. You’ve done this through generous gifts made over the last 14 years through multiple Giving Tuesday campaigns and appeals for food to kids!

For the last two years, these school meals for children in Zimbabwe have been the number one gift in our Christmas Catalogue!

Not only have we been working with school children, we’ve been providing nutrition to vulnerable kids between ages 2-5 and those between 13-17 who live with disabilities in Tsholotsho, southern Zimbabwe. For the past 8 years, we’ve been feeding 13,384 children in need of food to grow, and 1,636 young people who are taking HIV/AIDS medication and need nutrition for their medication to be effective.

Thank you for your gifts to children of all ages, who are suffering from disabilities, vulnerability and malnutrition.

Providing School Meals to Thousands

Working in 86 schools in Zimbabwe, we have been providing a fortified cereal, which is cooked onsite by volunteers, to children. This cereal gave children nutrition 5 days a week for the whole year. Teachers were included in receiving food as they supervised their students during mealtimes and are also in need of a nutritional boost.

In the past year, our supporters have helped us feed over 41,600 primary school students every weekday for the entire year.

Plus, every dollar that has been donated to help children in Zimbabwe has been matched up to 4x by the Canadian government through ERDO’s membership in Canadian Foodgrains Bank. What we have now, is a huge legacy of working with children in need in vulnerable, rural communities.

Grandmother Mabizela’s Story

My name is Grandmother Mabizela, and I am over 70 years old. I am the grandmother of the Mabizela family, and I care for my two grandchildren. Two years ago, their mother suffered a terrible accident when she fell into a fire and sustained severe burns. She has been unable to care for her children since then.

The feeding program has been a tremendous blessing for us. It has provided my grandchildren with the nutrition they need to grow and thrive. Without this support, I would struggle to provide them with regular, nutritious meals. The burden of caregiving at my age is heavy but knowing that my grandchildren are well-fed brings me great relief and peace of mind.

The feeding program has not only helped to nourish their bodies but has also brought stability and hope to our family. I am deeply grateful for the assistance we have received. It has made a significant difference in our lives during these challenging times.

Beauty’s Story

Beauty grew up in rural Zimbabwe, where drought and malnourishment are common. As a child, Beauty and her siblings were underweight and very ill. Beauty joined the vulnerable child feeding program, where she was given extra food to support her needs, and she started growing! When she began primary school, she received in-school meals every single day.

Beauty and her siblings live with their grandma and their mom, who work as farmers. At home they can only afford one meal a day, which is not enough for the children. These two feeding programs have saved the lives of Beauty and her siblings, making it possible for them to learn and grow.

A Father’s Story

One father of a child in this program says, “It is such a joy to be able to look back at what this life-saving project has done and given to our community. Our children’s future was quite dire before this program, and we would struggle to even get them to attend school because they were so weak and sickly.

“In the early years before this project, it was difficult, and hope was lost. You know as a parent it is better for you to sleep while hungry than to see your child hungry; the pain in your heart is too much to bear. We have learned that good food not only stops hunger but helps build up the body to fight disease. Our children can go to school and learn; our children will live and grow.”

The Future of Feeding Children in Zimbabwe

ERDO will no longer be working with our 86 schools throughout Zimbabwe to feed students. But that doesn’t mean the program is stopping. Thanks to an incredible funding partner, a new factory will be built in Tsholotsho, Zimbabwe, where the fortified breakfast cereal will be made.

When an organization like ERDO works in community development around the world, it is wonderful to see a program passed into the hands of local workers. This new factory will reduce costs of shipping the cereal in from out of country and will provide food to even more families!

We at ERDO want to thank everyone who supported this program for 14 years. Your generosity and love toward children in Zimbabwe has made a difference. Together, we provided a foundation for many more years of feeding students in the name of Jesus.