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This research aims to examine how the School Feeding Program influences student absenteeism and identify implementation challenges.

March 7, 2026Open Access

Investigating the Impact of School Feeding Program on Reducing Students' Absenteeism: The Case of Ruhango District, Rwanda

VDVincent DusingizimanaUniversity of Kigali XDXiuhua Prof. Dong MIMr. Pierre Chrisologue IMANISHIMWE

Key Points

This research aims to examine how the School Feeding Program influences student absenteeism and identify implementation challenges.
Qualitative study design
Data collected via questionnaires and document analysis
Sample includes students, teachers, parents, and head teachers
Theme analysis for qualitative data interpretation
Simple statistical techniques in SPSS for frequency and percentage calculations
School Feeding Program significantly improves student attendance
Enhances academic performance and social well-being
Identified challenges include infrastructure limitations and low parental engagement
Recommendations include increased funding and improved community participation

Abstract

Abstract: The School Feeding Program (SFP) plays a significant role in attaining Sustainable Development Goal 4 (Quality education) by effectively tackling hunger and malnutrition, which severely impede school attendance and academic achievement, particularly in rural regions such as Ruhango District, Rwanda. This study investigates the impact of the SFP on reducing students' absenteeism in Ruhango District, Rwanda. The research focuses on three main objectives: analysing the influence of SFP on students’ attendance, identifying challenges in SFP implementation, and assessing the role that community and local government played in enhancing SFP effectiveness. This study employed a qualitative method. Data were acquired via questionnaires and document analysis, with a total sample size of 86 participants, including 60 students, 12 teachers, 10 parents, and 4 head teachers. Questionnaires offered extensive information about stakeholders' experiences and views of SFP, while document analysis augmented data collected from official publishing reports. Data was analyzed using theme analysis to uncover relevant patterns and insights from qualitative replies. Furthermore, simple statistical techniques in SPSS were used to create figures and tables that depicted descriptive frequencies and percentages. The findings reveal that SFP significantly improves students' attendance, academic performance, and social well-being. However, the study also identified key obstacles, including infrastructure constraints, limited food diversity, low parental engagement, and chefs' limited culinary skills. To ensure the long-term viability and efficacy of SFP, key recommendations include increased funding, expanded infrastructure such as dining halls, and enhanced parental participation. Keywords: School Feeding Program, students’ absenteeism, Impact, Rwanda. Title: Investigating the Impact of School Feeding Program on Reducing Students’ Absenteeism: The Case of Ruhango District, Rwanda Author: Mr. Vincent DUSINGIZIMANA, Prof. Dong, Xiuhua, Mr. Pierre Chrisologue IMANISHIMWE, Mr. Daniel TUYISENGE, Ms. Marie Solange IGIRANEZA International Journal of Social Science and Humanities Research ISSN 2348-3156 (Print), ISSN 2348-3164 (online) Vol. 14, Issue 1, January 2026 - March 2026 Page No: 226-236 Research Publish Journals Website: www.researchpublish.com Published Date: 27-February-2026 DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18800567 Paper Download Link (Source) https://www.researchpublish.com/papers/investigating-the-impact-of-school-feeding-program-on-reducing-students-absenteeism-the-case-of-ruhango-district-rwanda

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