Community Factors for School Feeding Program Effectiveness in Monduli, Tanzania: A Community Perspective

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Nutrition Science
• Development Studies

Background:

• School feeding programs (SFPs) are crucial for child nutrition, food security, and school attendance.
• Pastoralist communities in Monduli, Tanzania, face climate-related livelihood vulnerabilities impacting SFP effectiveness.
• Understanding local factors is key to ensuring the sustainability of SFPs in diverse settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate factors influencing participation and challenges in a school feeding program in Monduli district, Tanzania.
• To assess the perceived benefits and sustainability concerns of SFPs among households.
• To identify barriers and potential solutions for enhancing SFP effectiveness in a vulnerable community.

Main Methods:

• A community-based cross-sectional study involving 163 households with children in two primary schools.
• Data collection via structured questionnaires, analyzed using descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and logistic regression.
• Spatial mapping utilized to analyze participation variations across different altitudes.

Main Results:

• Universal awareness of SFPs, but participation varied significantly between schools (100% vs. 0%).
• Household size and meal frequency predicted participation; economic constraints and climate shocks were major barriers (73.6%).
• Higher participation observed in high-altitude areas (86.0%) versus low-altitude areas (26.7%).

Conclusions:

• SFPs are highly valued in Monduli, but economic and geographic factors threaten their sustainability.
• 80% of respondents worried about long-term program viability.
• Integrating school gardens and increasing government support are recommended to bolster SFP sustainability.