Watch: How school meals are empowering the women who make them in Sri Lanka

Dawn is breaking. A woman is alone in her outdoor kitchen, oblivious to everything but the meal she’s cooking. Though this is a seemingly typical morning routine of a mother cooking for her family, it is not. For this woman has taken on the role of feeding 100 children.

“There were many times when I felt like giving up,” says Nilani Jayarathne, describing her decade-long journey of financial recovery. Having received support from the World Food Programme (WFP), including resources to set up a poultry farm and expand her home garden, she has built a successful and sustainable school meal catering business, moving from the brink of despair to financial stability.

Her story is a testament to the incredible hope that school meals offer, beyond improving nutrition and attendance for children. The process of taking food from farm to plate empowers entire communities, especially rural women, helping to shift them out of a cycle of poverty and malnutrition. 

Bouncing back

Sri Lanka’s economy collapsed in 2022, triggering its worst economic crisis in nearly three quarters of a century. Poverty levels doubled in the span of one year, pushing a quarter of the population below the poverty line. 

Among the bitter lessons learnt was the fragility of the country’s food systems. However, this was not the only thing to be disrupted – social safety nets, including the national school meal programme, were also halted owing to government financial constraints.  

Through international assistance and economic reforms, Sri Lanka is, however, on the path to recovery. As the country emerges from its crisis, the government is focused on rebuilding food systems models that are more resilient, sustainable and supportive of good health and nutrition. School meals can, and should, be a part of this process.   

WFP introduced its home-grown school feeding (HGSF) project in the country in 2020, augmenting its decades-long support to the national school meals programme. 

This is funded by the government, which outsources both buying food for school meals and cooking them.

When food prices soared during the economic crisis, hired caterers were operating at a loss. Many gave up and the programme ground to a halt. 

“The school menu requires eggs to be included in the meals. But eggs were scarce, and we struggled to find them in the market,” says Jayarathne.

Through HGSF, WFP supports caterers struggling with fluctuating food prices, to set up home-gardening and poultry farming so they can self-produce the meals. This shields them from market price volatility and helps them profitably manage their business. 

HGSF strengthens local food systems by economically empowering caterers, helping to shift people out of poverty, and enhances the nutritional quality of the school meals. Its biggest benefit is that it strengthens the sustainability of the school meal programme. 

With WFP’s support, Jayarathne is finally saving money which will help fulfill her dream of giving her daughters a good education, increasing their prospects of a better future.

Empowering women

Damayanthi Kannangara, another caterer supported by WFP, explains the transformative power of the HGSF project, “My garden and chickens give me so much more than what I put into them. They not only give us food but also financial security and hope for a better future.” 

The project is a catalyst in empowering women in food systems. By supporting caterers, most of whom are mothers from poorer communities, it boosts financial independence among women, while helping them take an active role in creating a self-sufficient system that strengthens food security among children and the wider community.

WFP is currently expanding its home-grown school meals project. The video will be used to onboard the support of donors and partners alike, with the aim of expanding the programme to all rural districts.

Read more about school feeding in Sri Lanka