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Abigail Mawonde and Ropafadzo Ndangariro
Vice President Kembo Mohadi yesterday said the schools feeding programme was an essential tool for development as it attracts learners to school. He made the remarks on Thursday as he officially opened the 3rd Edition of the African Day of School Feeding celebrations held at Glen View 2 Primary School in Harare — a school that was selected for use as a model of a sustainable home grown school feeding project.
He toured the various school projects ranging from agriculture, poultry, fish farming and its cultural village among others.
“School feeding is an essential tool for development which Zimbabwe considers as an investment in a special context, other than merely attracting learners to school,” he said.
“We need to bear in mind that failure to invest in food and nutrition security, particularly for children would retard the development of our country in socio-economic terms.
“Diverse modalities of school feeding provide quantifiable demands returns to investment.”
VP Mohadi said Zimbabwe supported self-sustaining school feeding programmes, but benevolent partnerships and other approaches could support the efforts under the Sustainable Development Goals.
“Let me assure delegates here that Zimbabwe is determined to give its best as it is poised to tap on the waves that foster innovation and programmes embodying health, nutrition and school feeding.
“This is evidenced by the country’s current Command Agriculture project, where resources have been committed for agriculture financing,” he said.
Added VP Mohadi: “As we celebrate the 3rd Africa Day of Home Grown School Feeding, let us reflect on the need for our unfettered commitment to our responsibilities and duties towards our young learners in schools.
“Let us give the African child the where-with-all to naturally unlock their potential through healthy feeding which gives a healthy body and ushering a healthy mind.”
Minister of Primary and Secondary Education Professor Paul Mavima said the School Feeding Programme was expected to chart a new relationship between schools and their communities.
“Zimbabwe will play its part in contributing to school feeding endeavours in Africa.
“We have no alternative but to ensure that the full potential of our learners is realized and that failure is not an option,” he said.
African Union commissioner for human resources, science and technology development Professor Sarah Anyang Agbor said investment in quality education and training was essential in building an extended and skilled workforce.
“We all know that home grown school feeding programme is essential for the transformation of the Africa we want.
“It is a typical programme that brings into place the education, agriculture, trade and the rural development sectors to interact and complement one another. I therefore call upon member states to increase efforts in supporting school feeding,” she said.
The Africa Day of School Feeding was instituted by the Assembly of Heads of State and Government during the 26th African Union Summit in January 2016.
The commemorations were a sequel to the 2nd Africa Day of School Feeding in Congo, Brazzaville in the year 2017 and the initial one in Niger in 2016.
Online Reporter