Choithrams and the United Nations World Food Programme are expanding their school meal delivery infrastructure across the Middle East through a retail-driven campaign running from September to December 2026. The partnership, now in its tenth year, has delivered more than 6.5 million meals to children in vulnerable communities since 2015. This year’s campaign is designed to push that figure higher.
The operational model is direct. Customers purchasing more than 200 specially marked Goodness Foods products at Choithrams outlets contribute to WFP’s school feeding programmes. The campaign, titled “Join the Journey of Goodness,” runs across Choithrams locations in the UAE, Oman, Bahrain and Qatar, where the retailer has operated for over 50 years.
Delivery channels extend well beyond the shop floor. Choithrams is activating its digital platform at choithrams.com, while the BOUNZ loyalty programme is offering members 2X reward points on all qualifying Goodness Products. The WFP’s ShareTheMeal app allows customers to track their contribution in real time. On-ground awareness campaigns will run at Choithrams outlets across the UAE and along the Dubai Metro Green Line, giving the campaign a physical presence in high-traffic locations.
Consistency of delivery is central to the programme’s impact. Bashar Alhammami, WFP Representative to the UAE, described school meals as a critical operational intervention. “School meals are one of the most effective investments for human flourishing,” Alhammami said. “They improve nutrition, encourage school attendance, particularly among girls, and help build stronger and more resilient communities.” For many children in the programme, the school meal is the only one they receive in a day, making reliable provision essential to both immediate nutrition and longer-term educational outcomes.
Choithrams Chairman L.T. Pagarani framed the campaign as a continuation of the retailer’s established commitment to community delivery. “Goodness has been the central inspiration of our journey of giving with our customers and partners,” Pagarani said. “Every meal donated reflects the kindness of our customers, and every child reached represents a future strengthened through nutrition and education.”
Meanwhile, the campaign will draw on influencer partnerships to broaden its reach. Clinical dietitian and nutrition expert Mitun De Sarkar will support advocacy efforts, helping communicate the link between school meal provision and child development outcomes. The BOUNZ app will send regular reminders to loyalty programme members, reinforced by social media messaging under the hashtag #ZeroHungerwithGoodness.
WFP, a 2020 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, operates as the world’s largest humanitarian organisation addressing hunger in emergencies and building pathways to stability for populations recovering from conflict, disasters and climate impacts. The Choithrams partnership represents one mechanism through which the agency mobilises private sector capacity to sustain school feeding operations at scale.
Customers can track their contributions through the dedicated ShareTheMeal page. Whether the 2026 campaign sets a new delivery record for the partnership will depend on how many shoppers across four countries convert their grocery runs into meals for children who have no other source of food that day.