The African Development Bank Group has approved the establishment of a fund aimed at ending hunger and malnutrition among school-age children in Africa.
The End School-Age Hunger Fund (ESAH) was approved on March 20, with the goal of enhancing school meal programs in targeted African countries. This fund will expand existing initiatives and create new ones to ensure that more children in Africa have access to nutritious food while attending school, while also boosting rural economies through increased agricultural productivity.
The fund will be implemented in collaboration with the African Development Fund, which is the concessional window of the African Development Bank Group. The Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF) is also involved and has demonstrated its commitment by signing a $50 million letter of commitment to establish the Fund.
In September 2024, the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation and the African Development Bank signed a letter of intent, during which the CIFF agreed to provide up to $50 million for the creation of the End School-Age Hunger Fund. This agreement was witnessed by His Majesty King Letsie III of Lesotho, an African Leaders for Nutrition Champion and African Union Nutrition Champion. Additionally, the Foundation expressed its willingness to contribute another $50 million to the Fund once the Bank has made its initial contribution. The Foundation is also focused on supporting broader resource mobilization efforts to attract more donors to the Fund. Meanwhile, the African Development Bank is looking to engage other philanthropic organizations, like the Aliko Dangote Foundation, to strengthen the Fund’s donor base.
The End School-Age Hunger Fund will support activities that directly contribute to school food initiatives across the continent. It aims to ensure the provision of nutritious meals to children while promoting the development of small and medium-sized enterprises that provide services related to these programs. When appropriate, the Fund is expected to provide essential technical assistance to governments, encouraging them to prioritize nutritious school feeding programs as a crucial mechanism for enhancing socio-economic development, improving student retention in schools, and boosting learning outcomes and social protection.
“The End School-Age Hunger Fund will aim for a five-year commitment from the targeted countries, which is the standard implementation period for the Bank’s investment projects,” said Dr. Beth Dunford, Vice President for Agriculture, Human, and Social Development at the African Development Bank Group. “This implementation period is long enough to establish a solid proof of concept, ensuring the continuation of the initiative beyond the initial funding phase.”
The Children’s Investment Fund Foundation is the world’s largest philanthropic organization dedicated specifically to improving the lives of children. Since its inception in 2004, the Foundation has received voluntary contributions and donations totaling over $2.4 billion. Over the past ten years, its endowment has grown to a value of $6 billion (as of 2020), highlighting the significant potential it offers for harnessing resources.
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