By Foday Moriba Conteh
In a significant boost to food security and education in Sierra Leone, the Head of Mission for Iceland, Ásdís Bjarnadóttir, alongside the World Food Programme (WFP) Country Director, Yvonne Forsen, embarked on a two-day visit to Bonthe Island from November 18 to 20, 2024. The visit aimed to monitor the implementation of the WFP’s Home-Grown School Feeding (HGSF) initiative, funded by Iceland’s recent contribution of $2.4 million.
This generous support is providing nutritious, locally sourced meals to over 40,000 schoolchildren across 184 public schools in Bonthe District, reinforcing Iceland’s commitment to fostering education and community development in Sierra Leone.
During her visit, Ásdís Bjarnadóttir toured the FAWE Primary School in Imperri Chiefdom, a World Vision-assisted institution with Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) facilities. She also ventured to remote coastal communities, including Delken, Mbokie, Jamaica and Choekolo , by boat. Here, she witnessed firsthand the school feeding programme’s implementation and visited orange-fleshed sweet potato (OFSP) gardens and woodlots established as part of the initiative.
The Head of Mission engaged with head teachers, farmers and School Management Committee representatives to understand the programme’s transformative impact on education and local agriculture.
A cornerstone of the HGSF initiative is its support for Farmer-Based Organizations (FBOs), which receive training, agricultural inputs and market opportunities. The programme empowers 1,740 women and youth farmers in the cultivation of OFSP, promoting sustainable agriculture and economic self-reliance.
Reflecting on her visit, Ásdís Bjarnadóttir described it as an “insightful experience” and highlighted the vital role of the home-grown school feeding initiative in advancing education and strengthening local food production.
The Iceland-WFP partnership exemplifies a commitment to sustainable and innovative approaches to school feeding in Sierra Leone. WFP currently provides school meals to 255,167 pupils across five districts, with 55,313 of these benefiting from the home-grown model.
This initiative aligns with the Government of Sierra Leone’s National School Feeding Policy and the Feed Salone programme, which leverages school feeding as a tool to boost local food production and procurement. By linking education to agricultural development, the programme fosters social and economic growth within communities.
The visit underscores Iceland’s and WFP’s dedication to creating long-lasting change, ensuring that children in Bonthe and beyond have access to nutritious meals while empowering local farmers and supporting community development.
