OPEC Fund and WFP promote clean cooking in 440 schools across Sierra Leone

The new funding will boost WFP’s climate-smart kitchens initiative in 440 schools across Pujehun, Kenema, and Kambia districts, through the installation of two fuel-efficient stoves per school and the creation of 15 community woodlots in selected schools to combat deforestation. 

The support will also enable the training of volunteer cooks on stove use and maintenance, promoting cleaner cooking and protecting the environment.

“This initiative supports multiple development goals, from improving health and learning conditions for children to protecting the environment and reducing emissions,” said Walid Mehalaine, Head of Grants at the OPEC Fund.  “Through our partnership with the World Food Programme, we are delivering practical, community-based solutions that make a real difference”. 

While there is a growing government and international commitment to promoting clean cooking solutions, in Sierra Leone, access remains limited, with majority of the population relying on traditional biomass fuels. 

The government is working with partners to improve access to clean cooking, but more investment and support are needed to address the challenge. 

"Clean cooking technologies and efficient fuel usage in schools, will substantially reduce our carbon footprint associated with traditional cooking methods” said Yvonne Forsen, WFP’s Country Director and Representative for Sierra Leone. “This contribution reflects the OPEC Fund’s integrated approach to development, where climate, education and community resilience are addressed together” 

WFP’s school feeding programme provides school meals to 254,000 students in five districts, including 26,000 school children benefiting from home-grown school feeding programme. The Government of Sierra Leone has prioritized home-grown school feeding as a key component of its National School Feeding Policy,

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WFP is the world’s largest humanitarian organization, saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters, and the impact of climate change.

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