Rwanda continues to deepen its investment in students’ wellbeing and education outcomes through the National School Feeding Programme, strengthened in 2024 by the Dusangire Lunch campaign. 

The Dusangire Lunch campaign is a catalyst within the programme launched in 2019; introduced to reinforce sustainability and increase community ownership of school meals through contributions from parents, cooperatives, private institutions and Rwandans abroad. The aim remains to ensure that no child is denied the ability to learn, concentrate and progress in school because of hunger.

Before school feeding reached national scale, hunger silently hindered learning, especially in rural and low-income communities. Schools frequently reported afternoon absenteeism as children went home searching for food and never returned. Others struggled to focus in class, became fatigued, or dropped out during planting or harvesting seasons when families depended on them for labour. The lack of regular meals was not merely a nutrition issue it created a barrier to access, equity and learning outcomes.

Today, the landscape has changed remarkably. More than four million students across Rwanda receive daily school meals, a shift that has stabilised attendance, improved retention and encouraged active classroom engagement. Teachers across districts describe fuller classrooms, stronger participation and noticeable improvements in learner performance. While the numbers reflect national progress, the story becomes more vivid through the experience of one school.

In Nyamagabe District, GS Gasaka has become one of the clearest examples of what school feeding can achieve. Enrolment rose to 100% by 2025. The school now operates a thriving kitchen garden and mushroom production unit that supplement meals with fresh vegetables and proteins, reducing costs and ensuring that meals remain consistent even in lean seasons. The impact is far felt in households.

Before Dusangire Lunch, Mujawayezu Jeanne, a small farmer and mother of five children who all study at GS Gasaka, struggled to feed her family. 

“Many mornings my children went to class hungry, and some days they stayed home or left school early because they had no strength to continue. I wanted them to learn, but hunger would send them back home,” she recalls.
Today, the situation has transformed. “With daily meals provided at GS Gasaka, my children attend school consistently, remain active in class, and return home energetic and motivated. Now they eat at school and their performance is improving. I may not have money, but I give my time in the school garden seeing them learn gives me hope,” Mujawayezu says proudly. 

Stories like hers are being observed nationwide as schools adopt gardens, local procurement and community participation models that strengthen sustainability.

The strength of Dusangire Lunch lies in its shared-responsibility approach. Parents contribute money or food depending on capacity, farmers and cooperatives supply produce, the private sector supports meal fortification and infrastructure, while diaspora communities extend support through donations and partnerships. In return, children learn better, families experience reduced financial pressure, schools gain predictable attendance, and local agricultural markets benefit from stable demand. School meals are therefore not only nourishment they are a catalyst linking education, agriculture, community and economic development.

Rwanda’s progress also draws from global learning exchanges. The country has worked closely with Brazil, a world leader in school feeding. The Minister of State for Education, Claudette Irere, recently led technical visits to learn from Brazil’s community led, locally-sourced model. These insights continue to shape Rwanda’s approach to ensure quality, sustainability and long-term resilience.

Looking ahead, Rwanda views school feeding as a cornerstone of human capital development and an investment in future generations. Plans include expanding kitchen infrastructure, strengthening nutrition diversity, increasing local sourcing networks and scaling school gardens for year-round food availability.