Keypoints:
- AfDB school meals reach 18,205 children
- Nutrition boost lifts exam pass rates to 76%
- Local gardens power sustainable canteens
A TRANSFORMATIVE school meals initiative funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB) is fuelling better attendance, academic success, and nutrition for thousands of children across Burkina Faso.
At Konioudou Primary School in Bazèga province, headmistress Françoise Koanda sees the results every day. With bowls of babenda — a rich local dish of leafy greens and peanut powder — 506 pupils (274 girls and 232 boys) now enjoy hot, healthy meals thanks to the AfDB’s School Meals Project with Local Products for Smart Nutrition (PRSNI).
‘We grow tomatoes, sorghum, niébé,’ Koanda said. ‘Now our canteen serves eight different local meals like couscous with cabbage and tô with sorrel. It’s a game-changer.’
Local produce, powerful results
Launched in 2021 with $990,000 in AfDB funding, the PRSNI has planted 70 school gardens and reached 18,205 children across 301 schools, including 9,033 girls. Canteens have served over 70,000 kg of vegetables and 183,434 kg of cereals, legumes, and oilseed — all locally sourced.
The impact is clear at Konioudou. Koanda and her staff were trained to enrich meals with vitamins and provide deworming treatment, dramatically reducing absenteeism. ‘Kids show up now,’ she said with pride. ‘Our exam pass rate jumped from 50 percent in 2020 to 76 percent in 2024. Full bellies, sharp minds.’
AfDB support powering broader development
The school meals initiative is part of the AfDB’s $1.5bn investment portfolio in Burkina Faso, which supports infrastructure, agriculture, and education across the country.
The Resilience Programme Against Food and Nutrition Insecurity in the Sahel (P2RS) has channelled $37 million since 2015 into rice and sesame farming, boosting incomes for women farmers by 30 percent.
Meanwhile, the Lomé–Cinkancé–Ouagadougou Corridor Road Project (CU9) has upgraded 303 km of road with $172 million, cutting travel times and enabling the transport of 3.8 million tonnes of goods annually, up from 2.8 million — giving farmers faster access to markets.
Urban upgrades: lights and sanitation
In Ouagadougou, AfDB investment continues to reshape communities. The Peri-Urban Electrification Project (PEPU) has brought power to 27,375 homes through a $33m investment, while the Ouagadougou Peripheral Sanitation Project (SPAQPO), funded at $42m, has reduced flooding by 94 percent and cut waterborne illnesses from 50 percent to 34 percent.
‘These projects are interconnected,’ the AfDB noted in a recent review. ‘Together they strengthen the social fabric — from classrooms and kitchens to roads and markets.’
Call for expansion as funding gap looms
Despite these gains, demand for support continues to outpace supply. Africa still faces a $402bn annual financing gap, and Koanda believes the PRSNI must grow to reach more children.
‘It taught us teamwork, health, and how to educate better,’ she said. ‘But more kids need this. We dream of every school having a garden.’
Her message is clear: small seeds, backed by smart investment, grow big hopes.
