By Richard Onapatum
 

Under the bright morning sun in Nakapipirit District, State Minister for Gender and Culture Peace Regis Mutuuzo stoodand flagged of the Nutri-School Bus as traditional dancers circled the vehicle in celebration. “This mobile clinic is a beacon of hope,” she proclaimed, “delivering life-saving screenings and nourishment to Karamoja’s most distant communities.”

James Kingori, Head of the WFP Karamoja Area Office, praised the partnership’s holistic approach. “By integrating systematic growth monitoring with hot, locally sourced meals, we’re not only tackling malnutrition, we’re empowering families to make healthier choices every day.” Dr. Sarah Nakanwagi of the Ministry of Health added, “Real-time data from each screening allows us to swiftly launch follow-up care and immunization drives where they’re needed most.”

Since then, the bus’s health team has sprang into action. Nurses conduct mid-upper arm circumference measurements beneath shade trees, then distribute ready-to-use therapeutic foods to children identified with acute needs. Severe cases receiveimmediate referrals to the nearest health centre, ensuring no child slips through the cracks.

Inside the bus, nutrition educators lead interactive sessions on balanced diets, handwashing techniques, and household hygiene. Mothers gathered around demonstration tables, learning how to fortify porridge with groundnuts and leafy greens. Each lesson ends with a Q&A, reinforcing new health practices that villagers could adopt long after the bus moved on.

Every week, WFP, Ministry of Health officials, and district health officers hope to convene to review screening maps and attendance reports. These coordination meetings guide responsive actions—from targeted supplementary feeding programmes to rapid immunization outreach—ensuring resources align with evolving community needs.

Back under the mango tree in Kaabong, a nurse reflects on her work. “When I see a child’s color brighten after a week of fortified meals, it reminds me why we endure the long drives and broken roads,” she says.
 

As the bus gears up for Kotido and Napak, partners are finalizing plans to integrate mobile nutrition clinics into district health budgets and replicate the model in other underserved regions.

With each stop, the Nutri-School Bus not only feeds children—it reengineers how primary health services reach Uganda’s most vulnerable.

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