education 7 August 2026 Daily Monitor (Uganda)
Kamuli District Revives School Gardens to Enhance Feeding and Reduce Dropouts
Kamuli District is re-establishing school gardens to improve student nutrition and combat dropout rates. The initiative aims to integrate practical agricultural skills into the curriculum and ensure consistent school feeding programs. Source: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/kamuli-revives-school-gardens-to-boost-feeding-curb-dropouts-5550688
Kamuli District leaders have initiated a significant campaign to revitalize school gardens across the region. This effort is part of a broader strategy to enhance school feeding programs, reduce student dropout rates, and ultimately improve academic performance.
District chairperson Kaloli Dhizaala announced that each school will be equipped with 50 hand hoes to support the establishment and maintenance of these gardens. He emphasized that these gardens should be viewed as community assets, crucial for promoting better nutrition, fostering improved learning environments, and bolstering household food security.
The campaign received a strong impetus from First Deputy Prime Minister Rebecca Kadaga, who, during the Day of the African Child celebrations, directed district leaders to reclaim school land previously leased to sugarcane growers. Instead, this land is to be utilized for growing essential food crops like maize, beans, cassava, and soybeans, directly supporting school feeding initiatives.
“We must prioritise school feeding. I do not want to see school land leased to sugarcane growers benefiting a few individuals at the expense of our children,” Ms. Kadaga stated, urging for the immediate reallocation of land for agricultural purposes benefiting learners.
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Representative in Uganda, Ezana Kassa, has challenged schools, parents, and communities to collaborate in promoting agricultural engagement among the youth. He highlighted agriculture’s pivotal role in Uganda’s economy, providing food, employment, and income, while also supporting industrial development.
Anthony Mula, Executive Director of the Busoga Consortium for Development, noted that the initiative extends beyond food production to include value addition, such as processing soybeans into nutritious porridge and soy milk. The consortium is also working to establish model villages focused on rural transformation through agriculture, nutrition, and education.