Tackling the Learning Crisis in Africa: Sahel Aid!’s Proven Approach

In sub-Saharan Africa, a staggering 90% of children cannot read by age 10. The continent faces a deep education crisis—one that most governments are ill-equipped to address. At Sahel Aid!, our mission is to ensure that every child not only enjoys going to school but also learns and grows meaningfully.

Since 2015, we’ve tested and refined a model that delivers real results in some of the most under-resourced communities in Côte d’Ivoire. Our work is guided by a simple yet powerful three-part framework: Dive In, Measure, and Iterate. These steps form the backbone of programs that move the needle on student learning and create lasting change.

Dive In

When Sahel Aid! commits to a new neighborhood, we do so wholeheartedly. Guided by our internal “All Hands on Deck” approach, we bring our entire team together for deep, respectful, and collaborative engagement with the community—particularly in the most marginalized areas where resources are scarce and the need is urgent.

Our work begins by meeting every key actor in a child’s life.

We start with the children themselves. We sit with them, listen to their hopes, and ask how they envision education. What do they dream of becoming—teachers, doctors, artists, engineers? What challenges do they face? Their voices directly shape how we design our programs.

Next, we engage with parents and caregivers to understand the realities of daily life. We ask about economic struggles, safety concerns, and access to basic services—and how these impact their children’s learning. We also explore the extent of their involvement in their children's education and their engagement with schools and local authorities.

But we go even further.

We meet with elected officials, local government representatives, religious leaders, and community elders—those who influence the broader conditions affecting education, from infrastructure and public safety to policy and funding. Involving these stakeholders early fosters ownership, transparency, and long-term sustainability.

At Sahel Aid!, “diving in” is not just a method—it’s a mindset. We believe that real change only happens when you understand the full ecosystem surrounding a child. By showing up, listening deeply, and collaborating with everyone who shapes a child’s world, we build programs rooted in trust, relevance, and impact.

Measure

A commitment to learning must be followed by a commitment to measurement—because what works in one place may fail in another. For example, our structured pedagogy model has achieved excellent outcomes in Abidjan, yet faced challenges when applied in other contexts. That’s why measurement isn’t just technical—it’s strategic.

Too often, education systems collect data on enrollment and inputs, but neglect to track whether children are learning. At Sahel Aid!, we believe that learning outcomes must be central to any education strategy. We start early and measure progress over time, using reliable tools and real-time data to understand what’s working—and what’s not.

We invest heavily in tools, staff training, and robust systems that allow us to track student learning with precision. This data enables us to tailor instruction to each child's needs, respond quickly when things go off track, and continuously improve our programs.

In short, measurement is not just about accountability—it’s how we keep our promise to every child.

Iterate

When one of our interventions proves successful—and the data confirms its impact—we scale it up. But we don’t stop there. We return to the community, share the results with all key stakeholders, and listen closely to their feedback. Transparency and dialogue are central to our approach.

At Sahel Aid!, we follow an iterative design process—a continuous cycle of designing, testing, learning, and refining our approach. Our experts work closely with parents, children, teachers, government officials, and community leaders to ensure our solutions remain grounded in real-world needs.

We prototype and pilot interventions, gather feedback, and make necessary adjustments to strengthen outcomes. This agile, responsive approach enables us to fine-tune programs in real-time and stay aligned with what works in each unique context.

Data is not just a tool for accountability—it’s a compass that guides every step we take. It helps us verify impact, identify gaps, and make informed decisions that elevate student learning. Getting education right for children demands rigorous research, thoughtful design, disciplined implementation, and above all, a commitment to rapid, evidence-based iteration.

No Child Can Learn on an Empty Stomach

“You cannot teach a hungry child.”

— President Barack Obama

At Sahel Aid!, we see this truth every day. Hunger is not just a health issue—it’s an educational crisis. When children arrive at school hungry, their bodies are weak, their minds are distracted, and learning becomes nearly impossible. That’s why we launched our free school lunch program: to ensure every child has the nourishment they need to learn, grow, and succeed.

But food in schools isn’t just about calories. It’s about potential.

Feeding Minds and Bodies—with Local Food First

Evidence from Africa and beyond shows that school feeding improves academic performance, child health, and classroom attendance, especially for children from the most vulnerable backgrounds.

At Sahel Aid!, we’ve boldly chosen to source 100% of our school meals from locally grown food. We proudly serve nutritious and culturally familiar dishes made with cassava leaves, millet, sorghum, and other West African staples. These aren’t just healthy—they’re also affordable, locally available, and embraced by the communities we serve.

By doing this, we:

• Support local farmers and cooperatives

• Stimulate village economies

• Provide meals that are both nourishing and culturally meaningful

  
  

Food should not only fill a child’s stomach—it should also reflect their identity and community.

The Power of Home-Grown School Feeding

Our commitment aligns with the home-grown school feeding model, a proven approach that connects school meal programs directly to local agriculture. In our programs, we work with women’s farming cooperatives, village markets, and community gardens to supply fresh ingredients and create a sustainable supply chain.

This reduces transportation costs, boosts freshness, and cuts down food waste. More importantly, it empowers rural farmers—many of them women—to earn a consistent income while feeding the next generation.

Why School Feeding Matters Now More Than Ever

Despite progress, the global need remains overwhelming.

• 73 million children in low- and middle-income countries live in extreme poverty, often without reliable access to nutritious food.

• In sub-Saharan Africa, nearly 1 in 3 children (32%) suffer from stunting, a form of chronic malnutrition.

• In Central and Southern Asia, 14% of children face wasting, or dangerously low weight for height.

• Meanwhile, 40 million children under age five are overweight, and 120 million children and teens are obese.

  
  

This triple burden—hunger, malnutrition, and obesity—demands smarter food systems, starting in schools.

A Global Movement, But With Uneven Progress

School feeding programs exist in nearly every country. In 2020, these programs reached 388 million children—about one in two school-age kids worldwide. And in a sign of growing momentum, school feeding was recently added to the Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4) framework as a key indicator for inclusive education.

Yet the biggest gaps persist in low-income countries—those with the greatest need. While upper-middle-income nations often reach most of their students, many lower-income countries still rely on narrowly targeted and under-resourced programs.

We believe every child, regardless of geography or income, deserves a hot, healthy meal in school.

Nutrition Is Not One-Size-Fits-All

It’s not enough to simply feed children—we must feed them well.

Unfortunately, many programs around the world rely on ultra-processed foods or imported commodities. Others face seasonal food shortages or lack proper nutrition guidelines, which are still absent in more than 20 low- and middle-income countries.

At Sahel Aid!, we are proving that nutritious, locally sourced meals are possible—even on tight budgets. With smart menu planning and community input, meals made from millet porridge, local vegetables, and cassava stew deliver critical nutrients without sacrificing taste or culture.

Schools as Food Hubs and Learning Spaces

Infrastructure matters too. Only 40% of schools offering feeding programs in low-income countries have proper kitchens. Sahel Aid! is investing in community-based cooking spaces, where parents, volunteers, and local chefs prepare fresh meals daily. Involving families in the process strengthens community ownership—and ensures meals are well-loved by the students.

Food also teaches. We incorporate nutrition education and hands-on gardening into our school programs, helping children understand where their food comes from and how to eat well for life.

What’s Next

At Sahel Aid!, we are committed to scaling what works. Our vision is simple but powerful: No child should go to school hungry. No farmer should go unrewarded for growing good food. And no community should be left behind.

Through locally grown school meals, we are not just feeding children—we are building stronger, smarter, more resilient communities across West Africa.

Africa’s Future Hinges on Its Youth—and Their Education

With 40% of its population under 15, Africa stands at a pivotal moment. This unprecedented youth demographic could fuel economic transformation—or deepen instability. The difference? Education.

To harness this potential, African nations must prioritize learning systems that are not just accessible but also relevant—equipping young people with the skills to innovate, adapt, and thrive. The stakes are high: education doesn’t just shape individual futures; it accelerates progress toward all Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Yet time is running out. As the 2030 deadline looms, the continent must act swiftly. Investing in quality education today isn’t just an option—it’s the only way to turn Africa’s youth bulge into a powerhouse of opportunity.

Africa’s path to inclusive education is riddled with obstacles: chronic underfunding, crumbling infrastructure, and a shortage of trained teachers—all compounded by deep-rooted societal and governance failures. Policies often look promising on paper but crumble in practice, leaving marginalized children behind.

Girls face violence and discrimination. Poverty forces families to choose survival over schooling. Rural communities grapple with isolation, while conflict zones see classrooms replaced by rubble. Children with disabilities are routinely excluded, their potential ignored.

Nowhere is this crisis more apparent than in Burkina Faso, where escalating violence and displacement have devastated education. In some regions, over 80% of schools have been forced to close, leaving countless children without access to learning. This isn’t just a policy failure—it’s a generational catastrophe. Without immediate intervention, SDG 4’s promise of equitable education will remain out of reach.

Overcoming these barriers requires more than incremental fixes—it demands a fundamental rethinking of education itself. We must shift from seeing education as mere classroom instruction to embracing it as a lifelong, dynamic process that builds adaptable skills, fosters equity, and prepares learners for the complexities of today and tomorrow.

This transformation hinges on three pillars:

1. Clarity of Purpose – Defining education’s role in shaping just, resilient societies.

2. Innovative Learning – Rethinking how, where, and when education happens.

3. System Alignment – Mobilizing stakeholders, incentives, and resources around a unified vision.

   
   

Only by rewiring the entire ecosystem—from policies to cultural mindsets—can we turn education from a privilege for some into an engine of opportunity for all.

To tackle Africa's complex challenges, we must fundamentally reorient education systems to develop versatile competencies in every child. This transformation requires more than policy changes - it demands a continent-wide shift in how we collectively value and deliver holistic learning.

By moving beyond traditional academics to cultivate critical thinking, creativity, and adaptability, we can unlock young Africans' potential to drive innovation and solve local and global problems. But this vision can only become reality through unprecedented collaboration - governments, educators, communities and industries must align around this shared mission to nurture complete, capable future leaders.

The path forward is clear: when we reimagine education as comprehensive skill-building and act together to make it accessible to all, we don't just educate children - we empower a generation to transform Africa's trajectory.