It was organised in partnership with the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and took him to four schools supported by WFP’s school meals programme.
At each he met government representatives, WFP teams, head teachers, teaching staff, school cooks and members of Food Management Committees.
By visiting community school kitchens he gained insight into the equipment and resources available to the women preparing school meals.
He will now work with Sodexo colleagues in Europe and WFP teams to further develop learning modules to scale up training in the Gambia and then neighbouring countries.
This training will cover essential topics, such as cooking and food serving skills, local menu planning with consideration to seasonal availability, ingredients, consumer preference and nutrition requirements, as well as effective kitchen equipment handling across cooking activities.
David said: “The warmth and generosity of the people I met has left a lasting impression on me. Despite facing profound challenges, their spirit and determination to overcome adversity was inspiring.
“The opportunity to contribute to such a meaningful cause aligns with my longstanding commitment to supporting communities in need. As a trustee of the Stop Hunger Foundation and having worked closely with various charities over the years, I was deeply inspired by the prospect of helping to make a difference in The Gambia.”
Stop Hunger has a mission to fight against hunger and food insecurity by empowering women and younger generations and is supported by Sodexo.