School children’s meals shrink after US cuts

Lesotho’s school feeding programme is offering smaller, less nutritious meals since the US terminated its funding for the scheme last year, reports GroundUp. After the cut in May 2025, Lesotho’s education authorities promised to fill the gap. Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Ratšiu Majara, gave a firm assurance when asked about the termination last year. ‘I guarantee that children in Semonkong, Thaba-Tseka and Mokhotlong will continue to get their meals.’ The US Department of Agriculture used to provide 36 000 children at more than 200 primary schools with daily nutritious meals. This month, Lesotho delegates told the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child that the government now provides school feeding in all primary schools. Jubile Ntloana, the school feeding co-ordinator in the Ministry of Education, acknowledged that the budget was too small to cover the portion sizes recommended by nutritionists. He said Ministry studies found that feeding contractors should be paid M8 ($0.48) per child per day to cover food, transportation to schools and the payment of cooks. But contractors are currently receiving about M5.50 ($0. 05999) per child per day. As a result, portions to pupils were reduced.