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19 October 2026

More Than Lunch

By The Love Trust

More Than Lunch: Why Nutrition Matters for Learning

As South Africa marks Food Security Month in October, the link between nutritious meals, academic participation, and the opportunities education creates is under the microscope.

15 October 2026, Johannesburg, South Africa - For a child to make the most of their education, learning needs to start with more than a lesson plan. It requires the energy to concentrate, the confidence to participate and the nourishment to sustain a learner through the school day.

At The Love Trust’s Nokuphila School in Thembisa, nutrition is recognised as essential to creating the right conditions for learning. Through its nutrition programme, the school provides learners with breakfast, lunch and a snack, ensuring that hunger is one less barrier to their education.

For Grade 8 learner Lerato*, these meals make a tangible difference to her school day.

“Breakfast and lunch at school means a lot to me. Some days I come to school without eating at home, so the meal I get at school is my first. It gives me strength to continue the day,” she explains.

Lerato says she notices a clear difference in her ability to learn when she has eaten.

“When I have eaten, I can concentrate, and I can answer questions in class. When I am hungry, I feel tired, sleepy and unable to focus.”

Her experience illustrates why access to food is closely connected to educational opportunity. While a classroom provides the environment for learning, children also need their basic physical needs to be met to participate fully.

Creating the conditions for learning

Julia Chiroodza, Nokuphila’s Head of Department for the pre-preparatory phase and chairperson of the school-based support team, says nutrition is fundamental to the school’s approach to education.

“A hungry learner cannot be expected to concentrate, participate confidently or make the most of learning opportunities. Education and nutrition are therefore inseparable,” she explains.

Hunger can affect more than concentration and memory. Teachers may also notice lower energy levels, reduced classroom participation and changes in behaviour, with some learners becoming withdrawn or irritable. These challenges can make it harder for children to engage with lessons, interact with peers and absorb new information.

The importance of consistent access to meals became particularly apparent when learners returned to school after the COVID-19 lockdowns. Chiroodza recalls that many returned having lost weight, highlighting the impact the school closure had on families.

“By providing nutritious meals, we help ensure that learners are physically and mentally ready to learn, grow and develop,” she says. “Beyond supporting academic performance, the nutrition programme contributes to the overall well-being of the child.”

The programme also supports families facing pressure from rising household expenses. Knowing their children will receive meals at school helps ease some of the financial burden, reducing the need to provide food or lunch money daily and allowing household resources to stretch further.

Nourishing future possibilities

The connection between food and education is particularly relevant during October’s Food Security Month, which draws attention to hunger, nutrition and access to food. World Food Day, observed on 16 October, further highlights the importance of building sustainable food systems that support people and communities.

At Nokuphila, nutrition helps learners pursue their ambitions. For Lerato, education is an important part of the future she hopes to build. She understands the role that food plays in helping her work towards these goals. “I want to pass and go to university and later get a job so I can help my family. If I have a good education, I can build a better life,” she says.

The Love Trust’s holistic approach recognises that education involves more than what happens inside a classroom. By combining teaching with practical support for learners’ broader needs, including nutrition, the organisation has created an environment in which children can participate in learning and develop their potential.

Ultimately, feeding minds and bodies means recognising that a child’s opportunity to learn begins with having the support they need to thrive. A nutritious meal may seem like a simple intervention, but it’s a vital part of helping learners build the knowledge, confidence and skills to shape their futures.

About The Love Trust

Founded in 2009, The Love Trust is a South African not-for-profit organisation (NPO) with a vision to nurture future generations of service-oriented leaders. We provide vulnerable children with quality Christian education that emphasises academic excellence, spiritual strength, and moral integrity. Together with our loyal partners, we create a resilient organisation that benefits the communities we serve, changing the lives of children by instilling self-belief and providing a haven for holistic development.

 

Our core focus areas in education include:

Delivering quality Christian education from grades 000 to grade 8 at our Nokuphila School in Thembisa, Midrand.

Training disadvantaged South African women as accredited early childhood development (ECD) teachers, qualified to teach Grades 000, 00, and Grade R school children nationally.

Providing dynamic practical experience through a Work Integrated Learning (WIL) programme for ECD, Foundation and Intermediate Phase teachers at our Nokuphila School.

The future is bright for the learners of Nokuphila School, as our first intake of Grade 8 students began in 2024, and we are excited about some of the goals we have set for the organisation and look forward to continued growth in our programmes.