World Vision Rwanda turns to golf to drive action on child nutrition

World Vision Rwanda will host the Friends of World Vision Golf Tournament on Saturday, August 22, as part of efforts to mobilize support for initiatives aimed at improving child nutrition and strengthening school feeding programmes. The tournament, to be held at Kigali Golf Resort & Villas, is being organized under World Vision Rwanda’s ENOUGH Campaign, which calls for collective action to end child hunger and ensure children have access to nutritious food. The estimated cost of establishing a centralized kitchen under World Vision Rwanda’s Integrated School Feeding Model in Burera District is $500,000 (approximately Rwf735 million). The intervention will cover eight schools and is expected to benefit approximately 8,000 children in Burera, one of the districts with a high burden of stunting among children. Therefore the Friends of World Vision Rwanda Golf Tournament is being held to mobilize resources and partnerships towards this initiative. Speaking to journalists during a pre-tournament press conference on Wednesday, Pauline Okumu,National Director of World Vision Rwanda, said nutrition remains critical to children’s health, learning and long-term development. “We know that nutrition is fundamental to a child's ability to grow, learn and thrive. When children do not have adequate and nutritious food, the consequences can extend beyond health, affecting their education, development and future opportunities,” Okumu said. The Integrated School Feeding Model will include the establishment of a centralized school kitchen, alongside fruit-tree planting at schools and households. The approach is intended to improve children’s access to nutritious food while strengthening local food production and community ownership. Okumu called for stronger collaboration among communities, businesses, government agencies, and development partners to address the complex challenges affecting children. “No single organisation can address the complex challenges affecting children on its own. Progress requires government leadership and community ownership to come together,” she said. The tournament also seeks to demonstrate how sport and partnerships can be used to support social causes. Jacques Visagie, General Manager of Kigali Golf Resort & Villas, welcomed the initiative, saying the tournament offers an opportunity for golfers, businesses and the wider community to contribute to a cause beyond the golf course. “It’s an opportunity to bring together golfers, businesses and the community to support such an amazing initiative for children. We believe that golf is a powerful platform for creating connections and making a positive impact beyond the golf course,” he said. The Friends of World Vision Golf Tournament will be played under a stroke-play format. Men will compete in handicap categories of 0–9, 10–18 and 19–28, alongside a senior category for players aged 55 and above across all handicaps. Women will compete in the 0–18 and 19–36 handicap categories. Through the tournament, World Vision Rwanda is calling on golfers, businesses, partners and other stakeholders to join efforts to improve nutrition and create better opportunities for children to grow, learn and thrive.

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World Vision Rwanda turns to golf to drive action on child nutrition