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WFP School Feeding and Early Childhood Development Programme in Lesotho

Deadline: 10-Jan-2026

The World Food Programme (WFP) is inviting partners to support its School Feeding and Early Childhood Development (ECD) initiatives across key districts in Lesotho. Partners will manage food deliveries, uphold food safety, monitor programme performance, and strengthen community engagement. This opportunity enhances child nutrition, supports early learning, and promotes local economic development through Home-Grown School Feeding (HGSF).

Overview

The World Food Programme (WFP) is seeking qualified partners to help implement school feeding and early childhood development activities in Lesotho. The initiative targets districts such as Maseru, Leribe, and Berea, supporting children’s access to nutritious meals and fostering early learning environments. Partners will contribute to programme delivery, monitoring, food safety, and community engagement.

Programme Objectives

Improve access to nutritious meals for schoolchildren and ECCD learners.
Strengthen early childhood development outcomes.
Ensure safe, hygienic, and efficient food distribution systems.
Support evidence generation, policy development, and advocacy for school feeding.
Promote local economic development through Home-Grown School Feeding (HGSF).

Key Components of the Programme

1. Food Distribution and Supply Chain Management

• Deliver food commodities to schools and ECCD Centres on all school days.
• Maintain strict food safety and hygiene standards from storage to delivery.
• Ensure proper handling, storage, pest control, and quality control throughout the process.

2. Monitoring, Reporting, and Documentation

• Record all food deliveries, stocks, and consumption at school and ECCD levels.
• Align school records with storage facility data for accountability.
• Conduct monthly data collection, compilation, and analysis.
• Submit timely monitoring reports supporting programme decision-making.

3. Early Childhood Development (ECD) Support

• Strengthen ECCD centres through nutrition services that enhance learning and growth.
• Ensure young children receive timely, nutritious meals aligned with WFP standards.
• Support caregivers and staff through capacity-building and training where necessary.

4. Community Engagement and Ownership

• Collaborate with school committees, parents, and community leaders.
• Promote local participation in school feeding activities.
• Enhance transparency, trust, and local ownership of the programme.

5. Home-Grown School Feeding (HGSF) Implementation

• Support the integration of local smallholder farmers into school food supply chains.
• Create predictable, stable markets for rural producers.
• Strengthen local agriculture while improving the nutritional quality of school meals.

Who Is Eligible?

Organizations with the following capabilities are encouraged to apply:
• Experience in school feeding, ECD, nutrition, food supply chains, or education programmes.
• Presence in Lesotho or ability to rapidly deploy in the focus districts.
• Strong capacity for logistics, monitoring, reporting, and financial management.
• Ability to meet WFP food safety, hygiene, procurement, and accountability requirements.
• Proven track record in community engagement or local stakeholder coordination.

Why This Opportunity Matters

Improves child nutrition and learning readiness in early childhood.
Helps reduce absenteeism and dropout rates by ensuring reliable meals at school.
Strengthens community involvement in child development and education.
Promotes local agricultural growth through HGSF, benefiting smallholder farmers.
Supports national policy development through evidence-based reporting.

How to Apply (General Guidance)

1. Register as a WFP Partner

• Create or update your UN Partner Portal profile.
• Upload organizational credentials, legal documents, and compliance information.

2. Submit Technical and Financial Proposals

• Include delivery plans, logistics capacity, food safety protocols, and monitoring approaches.
• Provide a detailed budget with cost breakdowns and justifications.
• Outline your approach to community engagement and HGSF integration.

3. Prepare Supporting Documentation

Typical requirements include:

  1. Organizational profile and governance structure

  2. References from similar past projects

  3. Staff qualifications and deployment plan

  4. Monitoring and evaluation methodology

  5. Risk mitigation and contingency strategies

4. Evaluation and Selection Criteria

WFP assesses partners based on:
• Technical competence and past performance
• Local operational presence and capacity
• Cost-effectiveness and transparency
• Ability to deliver according to WFP safety and quality standards

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Incomplete documentation or unclear food delivery schedules
• Weak monitoring systems or inaccurate record-keeping
• Insufficient understanding of HGSF requirements
• Underestimating logistics in rural or hard-to-reach areas
• Lack of community coordination strategies

FAQ

1. What services will the partner provide?
Food delivery, monitoring, documentation, ECD support, and community engagement.

2. Which districts does the programme cover?
Maseru, Leribe, Berea, and other designated areas in Lesotho.

3. Are partners expected to handle food safety?
Yes. Strict compliance with WFP hygiene and safety standards is mandatory.

4. What is the role of HGSF in this programme?
HGSF connects local farmers to school markets, supporting local economies and improving food quality.

5. How often must partners report?
Monthly monitoring reports are required, along with timely updates on deliveries and consumption.

6. Do partners need prior experience in Lesotho?
Not mandatory, but local presence or rapid deployment capacity is highly beneficial.

7. Are ECCD centres included?
Yes. The programme supports both school feeding and early childhood development.

Conclusion

This WFP partnership opportunity in Lesotho strengthens child nutrition, supports early learning, and promotes community resilience. By improving food delivery systems, enhancing ECCD services, and advancing Home-Grown School Feeding, partners will help ensure that young learners receive the nourishment and support they need for healthy growth and long-term success.

For more information, visit UN Partner Portal.