Lunch 4 All | Guildford Mukono

Lunch4All

Aim: To get every child to have a nutritious lunch including ingredients grown by the children

Up to 80% of children in our Linked schools do not have lunch and 50% do not have breakfast either. Lunch4All is a holistic approach enabling all of the children in our six Linked primary schools and two Linked secondary schools to have lunch.

There are a number of initiatives:

> Tools and Seeds

> Fuel Efficient Stoves

> Trees

> Farming Workshops

For most children having breakfast and lunch is not the norm - this obviously has a detrimental effect on their learning and wellbeing.

Helping schools to provide all pupils with a nutritious meal at lunchtime is a key project for the link. Schools are encouraged to be proactive through a range of initiatives.

Tools and Seeds

Every school was given a large selection of farming tools and seeds. Uncultivated school land was tilled and a variety of seeds sown. The crops have been significant and have improved the quality of school lunches.

Through WhatsApp the teachers share videos of the children's farming activities and new methods of cultivation.

Fuel Efficient Stoves

The Link has funded the replacement of simple three stone fires with fuel efficient stoves to schools.

These stoves have cut the cost of wood fuel by two thirds. A very significant saving for schools. It has enabled lunches to be produced for a lower price and need for logging in nearby forests has been reduced.

Trees

Every school was given hundreds of trees five years ago. The saplings are now 12 metres tall and when chopped down for fuel it regrows. Some of the trees were fruit trees. All the trees were carefully tended by the children. Not only did the trees provide fuel and fruit they have been used to give shade and define the perimeter.

Children caring for a newly planted sapling through regular watering.

Some saplings need to be protected from goats.

Farming Workshops

Every year Lunch4All holds a workshop to improve the teachers' farming skills such as growing vegetables in bags.

These simple ideas enable schools to grow crops and now children have started growing vegetables at home and using this to fund their lunches.

DONATIONS

To continue to develop the Lunch4All initiative so that the provision is maintained and expands to support even more children the Guildford Mukono Link needs your support. Donations will be targeted to meet the needs of the various schools involved in the initiative. This could be funding to provide seeds for crops and the provision of the necessary tools to plant and maintain the crops, funding to plant and maintain fruit trees, the funding for the construction and maintenance of a fuel efficient stove and the provision of workshops for teachers so that they have the skills and knowledge to plant, maintain and harvest a range of crops.

A farming tool costs £3 each.

A farming workshop costs £40.

Any donations will make a significant difference to the well being of Mukono children and we are very grateful for your support.