The Stromme Foundation Uganda has launched a new school feeding program aimed at improving the welfare, nutrition, and learning conditions of children in Early Childhood Development (ECD) centres within Bidibidi refugee settlement.
The initiative, launched at Kiranga ECD Centre, seeks to address food insecurity among refugee families while promoting sustainable environmental practices and household self-reliance.
Speaking during the launch, Ms. Dinah Morgan, the Country Director of Stromme Foundation, expressed gratitude to the individual donors in Norway and the Norwegian government for their unwavering support.
She noted that the funds provided have been used to procure food, install energy-efficient cooking systems, improve hand washing and hygiene facilities, train cooks in food handling, and build the capacity of school feeding committees on their respective roles.
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“We are deeply thankful to our partners and donors in Norway whose generosity continues to transform lives here in Uganda. Through this program, we are not only feeding children but also building sustainable systems that empower communities to thrive,” Morgan said.
Ms. Morgan also extended appreciation to Stromme Foundation’s local implementing partners — PALM Corps, Kulika Uganda, and the Transcultural Psychosocial Support Organisation (TPO) — as well as the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), ECD centre management committees, district local governments of refugee-hosting communities, and parents for their continued collaboration.
She pledged that Stromme Foundation will support 4,000 households whose children are benefiting from the feeding program to plant fast-growing wood trees to regenerate the environment and provide a sustainable source of firewood.
The organisation will also support families to establish kitchen gardens to enhance household nutrition and food security.
“Our goal is to not only provide immediate relief through food but to empower families with the tools to sustain themselves in the long run. By planting trees and promoting kitchen gardens, we are restoring the environment and fighting malnutrition at the household level,” Morgan added.
Representing the Office of the Prime Minister, Ms. Nyangoma Hanifah, the Assistant Community Services Officer in charge of Education at Bidibidi Refugee Settlement, commended Stromme Foundation for stepping forward to address a pressing need in the settlement.
“This school feeding program will go a long way in addressing the food crisis caused by reduced funding to refugees and poor food yields due to unreliable weather and low soil productivity,” she said.
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She emphasised that the program is timely, as many refugee households have been struggling with food shortages due to reduced humanitarian support and changing climate conditions affecting crop production.
The intervention, she said, will help improve school attendance, retention, and learning outcomes among refugee children.
The launch was attended by representatives from the district local government, ECD centre management committees, community leaders, and partner organisations, all of whom commended Stromme Foundation’s continued commitment to improving the lives of vulnerable communities in Uganda’s refugee-hosting regions.
The Stromme Foundation, through its partners, has implemented various community empowerment programs in Uganda, focusing on education, livelihoods, and child protection.
The new feeding initiative in Bidibidi forms part of the Foundation’s broader commitment to enhancing access to quality early childhood education for refugee and host community children.
The program also seeks to strengthen partnerships between refugees, host communities, and development partners to build resilient support systems.
These systems are aimed at enabling refugee households to establish sustainable livelihoods, take charge of their welfare, and support their children’s education laying the foundation for lifelong learning and breaking the cycle of poverty that often fuels conflict and continued refugee influx.
“When families can feed, educate, and support their children, we create stability, peace, and hope for the future,” Ms. Morgan emphasised.
