Students in Barbuda are now receiving two free meals each school day following a major expansion of the National School Meals Programme’s kitchen on the sister isle.

The upgraded facility can now prepare more than 400 meals daily, significantly increasing the programme’s capacity to serve children across Barbuda’s schools.

Officials have welcomed the development as an important investment in students’ health, education and overall well-being.
The expansion also brings greater equity to the delivery of government services between Antigua and Barbuda.

The National School Meals Programme was established to provide students, particularly those from vulnerable households, with reliable access to nutritious food during the school day. It also helps families cope with rising grocery and other household costs.

The Barbuda expansion forms part of wider efforts to strengthen the programme’s infrastructure and extend its reach. In 2024, the programme opened its first satellite kitchen at Urlings in Antigua to improve meal preparation and distribution to schools in the southern communities.

Education Minister Daryll Matthew says this is just one of many interventions being made on the sister isle to ensure education is accessible.

School meals are also regarded as an important educational support because well-fed students are better positioned to concentrate, participate in lessons and attend school consistently. The World Food Programme says such initiatives can improve nutrition and school attendance while reducing financial pressure on vulnerable families.

With the expanded Barbuda kitchen now capable of producing more than 400 meals per day, officials say the programme is better equipped to provide students with dependable access to breakfast and lunch at no cost to their families.

Barbuda MP commended the effort, saying that it came at a timely time.