Taskforce

Rwanda

Member since

July 2021

Rwanda has made significant progress in advancing its national school feeding programme through reaching universal coverage, increased government investment, strengthened governance and innovative approaches to programme delivery. The country is also promoting nutrition, sustainability and evidence-based decision-making through reforms in procurement, research, clean cooking and sustainable food systems.

3.91 Million

Total children receiving school meals

2.84 Million

Children enrolled in primary school

76.54 Million

Total investment in school meals (USD)

Figures reflect the latest available data from the State of School Feeding Worldwide report, national reporting and global sources. Governments may update data more frequently, so values may differ from most recent national statistics. Reference year, source and further details are available in the School Meals Coalition Global Database.

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National Commitments

Commitment submitted on
September 2021
Declaration signed by the Ministry of Education

Achieve universal coverage of school feeding for basic education; to review and update the National Comprehensive School Feeding Policy and strategy on a regular basis, to ensure it is relevant and inclusive.
Establish, build capacity, and sustain school feeding coordination structures and stakeholders at the national and decentralized levels. Maximize the impact of school feeding programmes on the local market through the development of the local school feeding commodity supply chain and market linkages in close collaboration with stakeholders in the agriculture sector.
Sustain the annual budget allocated to the national school feeding programme.
Participate in peer-to-peer exchange and learning activities with other countries and global school feeding stakeholders for impactful, nutritious, and sustainable school feeding programmes (Study visits, conferences, case studies, technical assistance).
Support and build connections between national academic institutions and the school feeding research consortium, government and other relevant initiatives related to school feeding research and learning.

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National Progress Reports

Reporting year

Programme Design and Coverage

Since 2021, Rwanda has expanded school feeding from 874,244 learners to universal coverage, reaching more than 4.5 million learners across public pre-primary, primary and secondary schools in 2026.
Rwanda has introduced centralized procurement of long shelf-life commodities, while schools continue sourcing fresh foods locally. The country is also piloting a centralized kitchen model serving more than 30,000 learners and has established a Clean Cooking Taskforce to support the transition to cleaner and more efficient cooking solutions.

Policy

Rwanda revised its National School Feeding Operational Guidelines in 2025 to reflect updated procurement modalities, food prices and nutritional requirements.

Financing

Government investment has supported the programme expansion, with funding increasing from RWF 8 billion (USD 5.4 million) in 2021 to RWF 142 billion (USD 97 million) in 2026. A dedicated budget line and School Feeding Financing Strategy are helping strengthen long-term programme sustainability.

Governance and Coordination

Governance and coordination mechanisms have been strengthened through national and decentralized school feeding committees, district school feeding coordinators and the establishment of the Directorate for School Health and Wellness within the Ministry of Education.

Data and Evidence

Rwanda continues to invest in research and learning on programme effectiveness, biofortification and value for money, while promoting peer learning through exchange visits and the East Africa School Meals Coalition Network.

Next steps

Expand centralized kitchens and integrate clean cooking technologies to improve efficiency, food safety, meal quality and sustainability.
Increase access to nutritious, diverse, fortified and biofortified foods.
To strengthen links between school meals and sustainable food systems through home-grown school feeding, regenerative agriculture, agroecology, climate-smart agriculture, circular food systems, school gardens and local procurement.

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