On March 20, the End School-Age Hunger Fund (ESAH) was approved with the goal of strengthening school meal programs in specific African nations by growing current programs and developing new ones. This will allow more African children to have access to wholesome food while they are in school and boost rural economies through increased agricultural productivity.
The Children's Investment Fund Foundation has already shown its commitment to the Fund's establishment by signing a $50 million letter of commitment. The Fund will be implemented in tandem with the African Development Fund, the concessional window of the African Development Bank Group.
In a letter of intent signed in September 2024 by the Bank and the Children's Investment Fund Foundation, African Leaders for Nutrition Champion and African Union Nutrition Champion His Majesty King Letsie III of Lesotho witnessed the CIFF's commitment to contribute up to $50 million towards the establishment of the End School-Age Hunger Fund. Furthermore, after the Bank had made its initial commitment, the Foundation stated that it was ready to provide an additional $50 million to the Fund. In order to increase the number of donors to the Fund, the Foundation is dedicated to supporting larger resource leveraging initiatives. In order to increase the Fund's donor base, the African Development Bank is also looking to collaborate with other charitable institutions, like the Aliko Dangote Foundation.
The End School-Age Hunger Fund will provide funding for initiatives that directly support school food programs across the continent, guaranteeing children wholesome meals and encouraging the growth of small and medium-sized businesses that offer services associated with these programs. It is anticipated that, where appropriate, it will offer governments the crucial technical support they need to prioritize wholesome school feeding programs as a means of boosting socioeconomic development, guaranteeing student retention in schools, and enhancing social protection and learning outcomes.
"The African Development Bank Group's Vice President for Agriculture, Human, and Social Development, Dr. Beth Dunford, stated that the End School-Age Hunger Fund will endeavor to obtain a five-year commitment from the targeted countries, which is the typical implementation period for the Bank's investment projects." "The project will continue after the initial funding phase if a strong proof of concept is established during the implementation period."
The largest philanthropic organization in the world devoted exclusively to enhancing the lives of children is the Children's Investment Fund Foundation. Over $2.4 billion in donations and voluntary contributions have been made to the Foundation since 2004. In the previous decade, Its endowment has increased to $6 billion (2020), demonstrating the potential for resource exploitation it provides.