China donates relief food to Uganda

Chinese Ambassador to Uganda Zhang Lizhong (2nd R), Grace Kwiyucwiny (1st R), minister of state in charge of northern Uganda, and Abdirahman Meygag (2nd L), the UN World Food Program (WFP) representative to Uganda, attend a handover ceremony in Kampala, Uganda, on Dec. 14, 2021. China on Tuesday donated relief food worth 2 million U.S. dollars to the UN World Food Program (WFP) to help feed school children in the semi-arid northeastern Uganda also known as Karamoja. (Photo by Lu Jicheng/Xinhua)

China on Tuesday donated relief food worth 2 million U.S. dollars to the UN World Food Program (WFP) to help feed school children in the semi-arid northeastern Uganda also known as Karamoja.

Zhang Lizhong, Chinese ambassador to Uganda, said at a handover ceremony that China is committed to supporting Uganda's future workforce because without the support they need, many children would go hungry and fail to study while at home.

"The take-home ration is our simple message to every child in Karamoja: Stay in school and you will have food. With food, you can study hard so that you can feed yourself and contribute to building your nation in the future," Zhang said.

In February, China and WFP signed a new agreement to provide over 3,000 metric tons of food assistance valued at 2 million U.S. dollars to Uganda. The food assistance program is expected to benefit more than 120,000 people in 300 schools in the Karamoja region.

Grace Kwiyucwiny, minister of state in charge of northern Uganda, hailed the Chinese donation, saying it is critical in supporting the hungry in the region that faces food security problems.

Kwiyucwiny said the donation comes at the right time as government is planning to reopen schools.

Abdirahman Meygag, WFP representative to Uganda, said the Chinese donation is critical in helping children stay on the learning course despite schools being closed in the country due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Meygag said since schools are closed, the food rations are taken to their homes, where they continue schooling.

He said the Chinese donation has enabled WFP to stick to its goal of feeding school children even at a time when schools are closed.

The food aid agency figures show that about 98 percent of households who received the take-home ration say that it enabled the children to learn better at home besides reducing the household's overall expenditure on food.

When the food is delivered at home, it reduces the time children go out looking for what to eat instead of concentrating on learning, Meygag said.

According to WFP, the food is purchased from the local farmers so as to stimulate the local economy.