A Nutritious Meal, A Brighter Future for Children with Special Needs in Tanzania

At Mji Mpya Maalum Primary School in Tandahimba District, Mtwara Region, nutritious school meals are helping children with special needs learn, grow, and thrive.

The government-run boarding school serves children with physical, cognitive, and learning disabilities from across southern Tanzania. For years, however, providing balanced and nutritious meals was a challenge. While children received regular meals, limited food diversity often affected their health, energy levels, and ability to concentrate in class.

To address this challenge, the Government of Tanzania, with support from the Government of Canada through the World Food Programme (WFP), introduced a range of interventions under the Tanzania School Feeding Project. The initiative supports schools to diversify meals through school gardens, improve food safety practices, and strengthen nutrition knowledge among cooks, teachers, and communities.

Today, school gardens established through the project produce a variety of nutritious vegetables, including Chinese cabbage, amaranth, okra, and eggplant, enriching daily meals with fresh, locally grown produce. At the same time, cash-based transfers from the project enable schools to procure eggs, ensuring learners receive a more diverse and nutritious diet. 

“Diversified school meals are making a real difference to our children,” says Head Teacher Musa Liyoka. “Nutritious meals are critical for children with special needs, which is why we provide four meals a day.”

For school cook Yusta Mwihumbo, the transformation is visible every day. “The addition of vegetables and eggs has significantly improved the children's health. The children are more energetic, more attentive in class, and healthier overall,” she explains.

The initiative has also strengthened community ownership. Through school feeding committees, parents are increasingly involved in supporting nutrition activities and discussing ways to sustain successful interventions in the future.

“The knowledge children gain about nutrition and gardening will stay with them for life,” says school cook Selemani Munda. “They will take these lessons home and share them with their families, creating positive change throughout the community.”

At Mji Mpya Maalum, a nutritious meal has become more than food—it is creating opportunities for healthier lives, better learning outcomes, and a brighter future for some of Tanzania's most vulnerable children.