KARACHI: The Government of Sindh and the United States Department of Agriculture’s McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program launched the Sindh School Meals Program, which leverages US-provided commodities to deliver daily cooked meals and take-home rations to more than 200,000 students across nearly 1,300 primary schools in Sindh.
With a USD 80 million funding from the USDA, the initiative will be implemented by Save the Children and the World Food Programme (WFP), in coordination with Sindh’s Planning and Development Department, School Education and Literacy Department, and provincial Food and Health departments, contributing to improved enrolment, attendance, and foundational learning.
Sindh School Meals Program represents one of the largest regional investments in school nutrition to date and a major step forward in strengthening school nutrition and education outcomes in the province. By resolving nutritional deficiencies worsened by recent floods and economic downturns, this program will keep children in school and help them perform well academically.
To ensure lasting impact and institutional ownership, the program includes significant investments in capacity strengthening at both school and district levels. Thousands of teachers, head-teachers, School Management Committee members, and district officials will be trained in food safety, nutrition education, and monitoring. This is complemented by the rehabilitation of Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) facilities in targeted schools, ensuring students’ access to a clean and safe environment for food consumption.
“The United States is proud that our farmers and agricultural producers can support the children of Pakistan by providing quality wheat, pulses, and cooking oil for school meals to feed over 250,000 school children in the next six years,” said Charles Goodman, US Consul General in Karachi. “The McGovern-Dole Food for Education Program represents true partnership for shared prosperity.”
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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