Uganda, May 5 -- Children in Uganda's eastern district of Budaka arrive at school each day in neat uniforms, exercise books in hand, ready for lessons. But for many, the school day has long been marked by something less visible: hunger.

Teachers say signs are familiar, drooping heads by mid-morning, declining participation in class, and unexplained absences. In some cases, hunger has quietly contributed to dropout rates.

Now, local authorities in Budaka are preparing a school feeding programme aimed at addressing the challenge in government-aided primary schools.

Budaka, an agrarian district where most households depend on subsistence farming, is frequently affected by food insecurity during dry spells and poor harvests, leaving school...