Project profile — Combatting Absenteeism and Reducing Barriers to Education (CARBE) in Mozambique

The project seeks to improve access to primary education and support the learning outcomes of primary school students in the five most food-insecure districts of Tete province, including two districts impacted by Cyclone Idai in March 2019. Project activities include: (1) providing daily nutritious school meals for up to 78,000 primary school students (of which 50% are girls) at up to 60 schools; (2) providing monthly take-home food rations for families; (3) incentivizing up to 8,000 adolescent girls to stay in school through the provision of menstrual hygiene care kits and informational materials aimed at improving sexual and reproductive health and addressing gender-based violence and early marriage; and (4) providing training to 2,000 women and men members of school feeding committees on basic procurement and financial accounting. The project provides local women’s agricultural associations with support to attain legal recognition and training on agricultural and entrepreneurship. Working with the government of Mozambique, the project develops the tools and systems for the expansion of a gender-sensitive National School Feeding Program.

The expected outcomes for this project include: (1) improved school attendance and retention for 78,000 children (of which approximately 50% or 39,000 are girls, including 8,000 adolescents) in five food insecure districts; (2) increased incomes and decision-making power for local women involved in school feeding programs; and (3) increased government ownership for the delivery of a national gender-sensitive school feeding program.

Results achieved as of March 2025 include: (1) increased enrollment by 4% compared to 2023, representing a 4% overall change (3% increase for girls and 2% for boys); (2) improved school attendance and retention for 51,438 beneficiaries (24,750 girls) across 104 primary schools in 5 food-insecure districts. Graduation rates also increased to 94%, a 2% rise from the previous year. These improvements highlight the programme’s effectiveness in attracting students, supported by providing a total of 8,741,987 hot meals in 2024; (3) strengthened government ownership of the gender-sensitive school feeding initiative by building the capacity and engagement of 408 government staff at various levels. This includes 10 District Services of Education, Youth and Technology focal points and 398 school managers, deputy directors, and administrative assistants; and (4) increased incomes and decision-making power among local women, including 380 smallholder farmers and 19 farmer associations made up of 310 women and 270 men. These groups supplied fresh food, improving their economic status and influence.