School feeding: 2,980,000 pupils in 8,683 public basic schools currently benefiting 

The Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Cynthia Mamle Morrison has disclosed that over 2,980,000 pupils in 8,683 public basic schools are currently benefiting from the Ghana School Feeding Programme, with one hot and nutritious meal for each school going day.

At the Meet the Press session in Accra on Wednesday, the Gender, Children and Social Protection Minister said the programme has built the capacity of 9,178 caterers and cooks in 11 regions in an innovative nutrition training, which has improved the quality of meals served to pupils.

“Training on meal planner softer has been undertaken for desk and nutrition officers in 11 regions. Also, registration of pupils in School Feeding Schools on the National Health Insurance Scheme has been relaunched”.

The minister further added that Farmer Based Organisations in Volta and Oti Regions have been profiled. This, she said, will help facilitate the linkage of caterers and farmers in the value chain as far as the acquisition of foodstuffs are concerned.

“The Ghana School Feeding Programme has reviewed a National and District Operational manual with key stakeholders within the middle and southern belt of Ghana to enable the programme deliver on its services effectively and efficiently,” she said.

The Ghana School Feeding Programme (GSFP) was initiated in 2005 under the John Agyekum Kufuor led NPP government as a social protection intervention on the context of the Comprehensive African Agricultural Development Programme (CAADP) Pillar III. The programme has so far impacted positively on enrolment, attendance and retention of children in some beneficiary Basic Schools in the country.