Gloria’s 5 Favourite Things about School Meals

12-year-old Gloria is in Primary 5 at her school in Uganda. Her mother Florence, a tailor and small-scale farmer, says that “Gloria is an intelligent child, she has respect for others.”

As a sponsored child, Gloria receives daily school meals, which she and her mom both agree have been life-changing for her, her siblings and her family. Here are her 5 favourite things about school meals.

Gloria enjoys her favourite school meal, posho and beans, at school.

#1: School meals make her feel great

“I feel energized, happy and contented after having a meal.”

#2: School meals taste great too 

“Posho and beans is my favourite meal because it is tasty, the meal at school is well prepared.”

#3: School meals help her stay awake in class

“I no longer sleep in class compared to when I used to doze due to hunger before joining the school feeding program. After having a meal, I am able to understand the lessons that are going on, especially in the afternoon.”

#4: School meals help her spend more time learning, and less time out of class

“Before I joined the school feeding program, I would learn up to 1.00 pm then I would go for lunch. That would be the end of learning. Sometimes, I had to prepare a meal for myself before coming back to school. The time that would be used for learning is spent while I am preparing a meal. With the school feeding program, we are able to have more hours of learning.”

#5: School meals are helping her achieve her dreams

“I feel great and motivated to stay in school longer so that I can achieve my dreams. I want to be a Nurse because I want to help people in the community.”

School meals are just the beginning.

Gloria’s mother Florence says that the school meal program helps keep her children safe in school, and has improved their health and grades. This is one of the major benefits of Gloria being sponsored as a Child Ambassador. But it’s only the beginning.

While Gloria and her siblings are receiving a better education thanks to school meals, the family is benefiting from farming support and training to increase the harvest from their home garden, which has pulled them out of food insecurity. Florence says that they even have surplus to sell in the market. In addition, they were able to join a Village and Loan Association to increase their savings and build financial security.

Thank you for helping feed and nourish children like Gloria

None of this would be possible without the help of Canadian Feed The Children’s family of donors. Gloria is especially grateful for your support: “I want to thank the Canadians for giving us food to feed at school and providing us with farm inputs to grow more food at home!”

Florence agrees. “I want to thank Canadians for the support given to our children and our homes. Our living conditions have greatly changed,” she says.

Thank you for helping feed and nourish children like Gloria around the world. Learn more about how sponsoring a child can make a difference by clicking “Sponsor A Child” below, or learn more about other ways gifts like yours can help children.