The Government of Japan, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and the Government of Sierra Leone have signed a JPY 200 million (approximately US$1.25 million) food aid grant agreement to provide nutritious school meals to nearly 30,000 children in Pujehun District over the next two years.
The agreement, signed under the 2026 Kennedy Round (KR) Food Aid Grant, represents another significant intervention aimed at strengthening Sierra Leone’s National School Feeding Programme, improving children’s access to education and supporting agricultural production in rural communities.
The initiative will benefit pupils attending 135 Government-assisted pre-primary and primary schools across six chiefdoms in Pujehun District, where school feeding remains an important intervention in addressing hunger and encouraging regular school attendance.
Under the agreement, the funding will support the procurement and distribution of food commodities, strengthen the capacity of school-level stakeholders and facilitate the purchase of locally produced rice from smallholder farmers through the Home-Grown School Feeding approach.
Speaking during the signing ceremony, His Excellency Hiroshi Yoshimoto, Ambassador of Japan to Sierra Leone, reaffirmed his country’s commitment to supporting education, nutrition and the long-term wellbeing of Sierra Leonean children.
He explained that Japan’s continued investment in school feeding reflects its determination to help improve educational opportunities while strengthening the sustainability and coverage of the National School Feeding Programme.
“Through previous Kennedy Round grants, Japan has helped WFP provide school meals to thousands of children in schools across Pujehun and Kambia districts. This latest agreement targets nearly 30,000 children in Pujehun District over two years,” Ambassador Hiroshi Yoshimoto stated.
The Japanese Ambassador emphasized the importance of sustained international cooperation in ensuring that vulnerable children receive adequate nutrition to support their physical development and academic performance.
Welcoming the intervention, Emily Kadiatu Gogra, Deputy Minister I of Basic and Senior Secondary Education, described the grant as an important contribution towards advancing the Government’s education priorities and strengthening school feeding services.
“The grant strengthens our ability to maintain school feeding while we continue developing the national capacity and financing arrangements necessary for its long-term sustainability,” Emily Kadiatu Gogra said.
She acknowledged the continued partnership between Japan, WFP and the Government of Sierra Leone in addressing nutritional challenges affecting schoolchildren, particularly those in underserved communities.
Beyond providing meals, the programme will contribute to strengthening local agricultural production by creating market opportunities for smallholder farmers.
Through the Home-Grown School Feeding approach, WFP will procure locally produced rice for school meals, helping farmers secure a reliable market for their produce while supporting household incomes and rural economic development.
Andrew Odero, WFP Representative and Country Director in Sierra Leone, commended the Government and people of Japan for their sustained commitment to improving children’s nutrition and strengthening food security.
“For more than six years, the Government and people of Japan have stood alongside WFP and the Government of Sierra Leone to support school feeding, particularly in Kambia and Pujehun districts. Through successive Kennedy Round food aid grants, Japan has provided school meals for thousands of schoolchildren. Japan has also helped WFP invest in the agriculture sector, enabling smallholder farmers to sell to the school feeding programme,” Andrew Odero explained.
He highlighted the importance of linking school feeding programmes with domestic agricultural production, noting that such an approach could simultaneously address children’s nutritional needs and strengthen economic opportunities for farming communities.
The signing ceremony, held at the New Brookfields Hotel in Freetown, attracted representatives from the Government of Japan, the Government of Sierra Leone, WFP, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the National School Feeding Secretariat.
The latest agreement further demonstrates the longstanding development partnership between Japan and Sierra Leone, particularly in education, nutrition, agriculture and food security.
For the nearly 30,000 children expected to benefit across Pujehun District, the intervention offers more than a daily school meal. It provides an opportunity to improve their health, encourage regular attendance and create a more supportive learning environment.
The initiative is also expected to contribute towards the Government’s broader efforts to develop a sustainable, nationally supported school feeding system that benefits both schoolchildren and local farming communities.
