Nourishing Futures: US-Funded WFP's Integrated School Feeding Programme in Northern Ghana

Ten-year-old Eliana Akuka, a Class 5 pupil at Supreme Academy in Zebilla, Upper East Region, speaks with striking clarity about the relationship between nutrition and learning.

"If we do not eat well, we will be hungry and cannot pay attention or participate in class. Aside from eating, we need a balanced diet to grow better, healthier, and stronger. We are happy about the food the World Food Programme provides to us every day in school."

Her words capture, with simple precision, the transformative power of school feeding, and the real, everyday difference it makes in the lives of children across Northern Ghana.

Eliana is one of 60,000 learners benefiting from an integrated school feeding programme led by the World Food Programme (WFP) in partnership with the Government of Ghana and supported by the United States Government. Grounded in the principle that sustainable school meals represent a high-return on investment in children, education, and communities, the programme operates across 207 low-fee private schools in Northern Ghana, simultaneously improving nutritional outcomes and expanding access to quality education.

The integrated model extends well beyond meal provision. By connecting nutrition, education, agriculture, and social protection, it is designed to deliver broader, long-term development impact,  strengthening food systems, supporting local economies, and improving educational outcomes in some of Ghana's most vulnerable communities.

As the current programme cycle approaches its conclusion in June 2026, WFP led a three-day multi-stakeholder field mission to assess impact and explore opportunities for scaling up. The mission brought together representatives from the Ghana School Feeding Programme, the Ministry of Education, and other key partners, and was led by WFP Country Director Ms. Aurore Rusiga and Ghana School Feeding Programme National Coordinator Hajia Fati Forgor.

The team conducted visits to six privately run schools across Tamale, Zebilla, and Gambaga, engaging directly with students, school authorities, caterers, and community members involved in programme implementation.

"We are here to listen to you," Ms. Rusiga remarked during one of the community engagements, underscoring WFP's commitment to local ownership as the programme enters a critical transition period.

Across all locations visited, the evidence was consistent and compelling.

Education Outcomes

Schools reported measurable improvements in enrolment, attendance, and classroom participation. At Oxford Grammar Academy in Tamale, proprietress Madam Cheryl Anayah documented an increase in student enrolment from 175 to 445, a growth she attributes directly to the programme. She noted that parents who previously struggled to provide meals are now confident in sending their children to school, with many accompanying their children to class and thereby improving both attendance and safety.

Madam Adisa Alhassan, proprietress of Adi Care Educational Complex in Zebilla, similarly reported significant enrolment growth since the programme's introduction.

Health and Nutrition

The programme has also produced tangible health benefits. David Aldra Saaka, proprietor of Harvest Community School in Tamale, noted that prior to the programme, cases of diarrhoea were common — a consequence of poorly stored food brought from home or purchased from unregulated vendors. Since the introduction of structured school feeding, such cases have declined significantly. Teachers and parents across all schools visited observed improvements in children's energy levels, general health, and overall wellbeing.

Community and Economic Benefits

A consistent message emerged across every community visited: school feeding is easing the financial burden on families while strengthening community engagement with education. The programme's integration with local agriculture and food systems is also contributing to broader economic activity in the regions served.

Prospects for Sustainability and Scale

While many schools expressed hope of being formally integrated into the mainstream Ghana School Feeding Programme, there are encouraging signs of local ownership and initiative. At Savior Academy in Gambaga, the proprietor, Charles Nyaba Adongo noted plans to convene parents and community leaders to discuss sustaining the programme beyond the current cycle, a reflection of the community-level commitment the programme has fostered.

According to Hajia Fati Forgor, National Coordinator of the Ghana School Feeding Programme, the outcomes observed during the mission are encouraging and may contribute to policy considerations for extending school feeding to low-fee private schools at scale. She commended WFP for its sustained commitment to keeping nutrition high on the national development agenda.

The Path Forward

The field mission yielded valuable first-hand insights into the integrated model's performance in practice, highlighting both achievements and areas for continued improvement. It reinforced three critical enablers for impact at scale: sustained and predictable funding, strong multi-sector partnerships, and genuine community engagement.

Looking ahead, there is a clear opportunity to embed this integrated model within broader nutrition-focused interventions across sectors, maximizing both impact and scale. The goal remains clear: to expand access so that more children, particularly in vulnerable communities, are consistently fed, healthier, able to learn more effectively, and supported to stay in school.

Achieving that goal will require continued investment and strong political will to position school feeding not as a project, but as a core pillar of Ghana's human development agenda.