MEDIA ADVISORY

11^th African Day of School Feeding (ADSF)

Theme: “Ensuring Access to Nutritious Meals, Clean Water and Hygiene: Promoting Safety and Resilience in Every School Meal Investment”

INVITATION TO THE MEDIA REPRESENTATIVES

What:  The 11^th African Day of School Feeding (ADSF).

When: 28 February - 01 March 2026.

Where: Gaborone, the Republic of Botswana

Why: In its 2016 ordinary session, the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union, through Assembly Decision AU Assembly (589 XXVI), acknowledged the crucial role of Home-Grown School Feeding (HGSF) in advancing education, nutrition, agriculture, rural development, and gender equality, and instituted the Africa Day of School Feeding (ADSF) to be observed annually on March 1^st. Since its declaration, ADSF has become a premier continental platform to showcase the transformative impact  of school feeding programs in improving educational outcomes, enhancing food security, strengthening local food systems, and promoting inclusive economic growth. The African Day of School Feeding (ADSF), contributes directly to the realization of Agenda 2063 – Aspiration 1: “A Prosperous Africa Based on Inclusive Growth and Sustainable Development.” It also reinforces Africa’s commitment to build resilient human capital systems that integrates education, health, agriculture and social protection.

According to the African Union Biennial Report (2023-2024), the number of schoolchildren benefiting from schoolchildren benefiting from school meal programmes has increased from 38.4 million in 2013 to 86.86 million in 2024, with continental investments rising from USD 1.32 billion in 2020 to USD 1.96 billion in 2024. Notably, 83% of funding is domestically financed, and 35 Member States now have dedicated national budget lines for school feeding programmes. Despite this progress, challenges remain, including financing gaps, inadequate infrastructure, weak multi-sectoral coordination, disruptions due to emergencies and conflict, and limited monitoring and evaluation systems. ADSF therefore serves as a strategic accountability and action platform to renew commitments, strengthen partnerships, and accelerate implementation.

The Eleventh Africa Day of School Feeding will take place under the theme: “Ensuring Access to Nutritious Meals, Clean Water and Hygiene: Promoting Safety and Resilience in Every School Meal Investment.” This theme is fully aligned with the African Union’s 2026 Theme of the Year: “Assuring Sustainable Water Availability and Safe Sanitation Systems to Achieve the Goals of Agenda 2063.” The 2026 AU Theme also aligns with the United Nations Water Conference 2026 and SDG 6 on clean water and sanitation, presenting a strategic opportunity to strengthen vertical and cross-sectoral collaboration between education, health, agriculture and water sectors. The theme underscores that water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) are indispensable  to safe, effective and resilient school meal programmes, from agricultural production and food preparation to hygiene practices and children’s health and learning outcomes. The integration of WASH into school feeding is particularly critical for adolescent girls, as adequate sanitation facilities directly influence attendance, dignity and learning continuity. By linking food, water and resilience, the 11th ADSF positions school feeding at the heart of Africa’s human capital development and climate resilience agenda.

Who: The 11^th African Day of School Feeding is co-hosted by the African Union Commission, Department of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation (ESTI); the World Food Programme (WFP); and the Government of Botswana. The event will feature high-level participation including H.E. the President of the Republic of Botswana, the AU Commissioner for Education, Science, Technology and Innovation, Ministers from AU Member States, Regional Economic Communities, UN Agencies, and representatives of the School Meals Coalition.

Objectives:

The overarching objective of the 11^th ADSF is to galvanize political will, partnerships and investments to scale sustainable and resilient school  feeding programs across Africa. Specific objectives include:

1. Celebrate Africa’s leadership in advancing national school meal programmes and in shaping global action through the School Meals Coalition, where African countries make up the most represented region.
2. Highlight the 2026 Africa Day of School Feeding theme, emphasizing the strategic integration of  nutritious meals with clean water, sanitation and hygiene to improve children’s health and learning outcomes
3. Showcase national progress and innovation, including home-grown, climate-smart and integrated approaches that strengthen food systems, support farmers and enhance  communities resilience.
4. Reinforce partnerships among African Member States, the African Union and global actors, including the  announcement of  the hosting of the School Meals Coalition Taskforce Ministerial Meeting in 2026.
5.  Strengthen policy, governance and financing frameworks by promoting domestic resource mobilization, innovative financing mechanisms and institutional integration of Home-Grown School Feeding into national development strategies.
    

Expected Outcomes:

1. Increased awareness through greater understanding of school feeding as a strategic human capital investment.
2. Adoption of actionable policy recommendations, including the endorsement of the Gaborone Call to Action, aligned with the AU 2026 Theme and Agenda 2063 targets.
3. Enhanced partnerships and financing commitments from governments, development partners and private sector actors.
4. Strengthen knowledge exchange  through documentation and dissemination of evidence, date and best practices.
5. Consolidated continental accountability through strengthened monitoring, reporting and peer learning mechanisms to accelerate progress toward universal access to safe and nutritious school meals.

Participants:

The two-day event is expected to bring together approximately 300 participants, including Government representatives from the host country; African Union Commission; AU Member States; Regional Economic Communities; WFP, UNICEF, FAO and other UN agencies; Civil society organizations and NGOs; Private sector stakeholders; Financial institutions; Academia and research institutions; Farmers’ organizations and cooperatives; and Media representatives.

Media Engagement:

Media representatives will have access to high-level opening ceremonies, ministerial sessions, technical discussions, exhibition booths showcasing innovations in food safety and digital monitoring tools, and a field visit to selected schools in Gaborone.

Media representatives are cordially invited to cover this important continental event.

For media inquiries, please contact:

1. Ms. Esther Azaa Tankou | Head, Media and Information Division, Communication Adviser, Permanent Observer Mission to the UN | Information and Communications Directorate | E-mail: yamboue@africanuinon.org , Tel: +251911361185 / +1 3478127195 (WhatsApp)
2. Mr. Maqhawe Freedom Thwala | Digital Communications Officer | Department of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation| African Union Commission| E-mail: ThwalaM@africanunion.org| Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
3. Mr. Gamal Eldin Ahmed A. Karrar | Senior Communication Officer | Information and Communication Directorate (ICD), African Union Commission | E-mail: GamalK@africanunion.org

Information and Communication Directorate | African Union Commission I E-mail: DIC@africanunion.org I Website: http://www.au.int I Addis Ababa | Ethiopia I Follow Us: Facebook | X/Twitter | Instagram | YouTube |