PABRA empowers Rwanda’s school nutrition with three tons of high-iron bean seeds

What if the key to better school performance, stronger communities, and healthier futures could start with a single bean seed? In Rwanda, that idea is becoming reality. As the government intensifies its efforts to improve nutrition through agriculture under its Fifth Strategic Plan for Agriculture Transformation (PSTA5), schools are emerging as the unexpected ground zero for change. Under the Sustainable School Feeding Innovations (SSFI) Initiative, the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT through Pan-Africa Bean Research Alliance (PABRA), in collaboration with national partners, has distributed over three tones of high-iron bean (HIB) seeds to 92 schools across five districts, marking a significant leap toward linking school meals with local, nutrition-rich crops.

SSFI, which is funded by Clifford Chance, seeks to promote nutrition-sensitive school feeding by strengthening schools’ capacity in bean production, nutrition awareness, and climate resilience. It is implemented in partnership with Ministry of Education (MINEDUC), the Ministry of Agriculture (MINAGRI), the City of Kigali, and the Heads of Schools Organization (HOSO).