School feeding programme targets 580 000 at-risk children

SCHOOLS in rural and urban areas countrywide should resume schools feeding for learners within the next two weeks as Government has revived the programme after securing close to 1 000 tonnes of mealie-meal.

Primary and Secondary Education Minister, Torerayi Moyo told school heads at the National Association of Secondary Heads (Nash) conference in Victoria Falls recently that, as a Signatory of the Schools Meals Coalition, Zimbabwe is mandated to provide at least a meal per day per learner in light of the ravaging drought.

President Mnangagwa declared the El Nino-induced drought a State of Disaster, paving the way for mobilisation of adequate resources towards boosting national food security, including through supplementary grain imports as part of mitigation measures.

Most provinces in Zimbabwe experienced crop failure and grains such as maize were a write-off, leaving most families in need of food aid.

The declaration of a State of Disaster triggered resource mobilisation efforts on a large scale targeting all stakeholders, including those in the diaspora, the United Nations family, the international community and the private sector, among others.

The schools feeding programme had been suspended in most schools while those that remained with the programme scaled down to a meal a day. Government launched the schools feeding programme to combat malnutrition and prevent children from dropping out due to hunger brought on by drought.

The initiative aims to reach disadvantaged children who are at risk of severe malnutrition, with the UN International Children’s Emergency Fund warning that around 580 000 children are at risk.

“I am proud to announce that the President has provided more than 900 tonnes to feed learners from Early Childhood Development to Form 6. Government has always provided funds for issues of welfare of learners like school feeding and sanitary wear,” said Minister Moyo.

“Zimbabwe is a signatory of the Schools Meals Coalition after we went to France where we made the commitment and it is mandatory for us as Government to ensure that we provide one hot meal per child and we are so grateful to the President for providing mealie-meal.

“So, in the next two weeks, we will see all schools, especially in rural areas and high density suburbs receiving food. The schools will provide one hot meal per day as a way to motivate learners to attend classes so that they don’t have a challenge of dropping out of school,” said Minister Moyo.

He said day-mission schools will also be covered by the programme as education is a fundamental right of every individual.

Minister Moyo said Government’s commitment to education is demonstrated by budgetary allocation by Treasury. Some learners are from poor backgrounds while some walk long distances to school, which contribute to drop-outs and a meal at school will motivate them to stay, he said.

“We now have resources, as soon as we receive, let’s feed our children as a way of fighting drought,” added Minister Moyo.

In Victoria Falls, head of the Roman Catholic Church’ St Josephine Bakhita Primary School, Mrs Shillah Gapara told the visiting Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Janusz Stanislaw Urbanczyk that the school was providing one meal a week from its resources since the national schools feeding was stopped some time back.

She said a majority of the 609 learners were from food insecure families, which was affecting their learning. Schools are also encouraged to start projects that complement the feeding programme, especially with relish. —@ncubeleon