Ghana School Feeding Programme is covering 713,590 pupils

Sunyani, June 29, GNA – A total of 713,590 pupils in 1,695 basic schools across the country are currently benefiting from the Ghana School Feeding Programme (GSFP), Mr Seidu Paakuna Adamu, National Co-ordinator of the Programme said on Tuesday.

He observed that even though there was a slight increase in the number of schools enjoying the free meals since its inception in 2005, school enrolment continued to increase because of the programme.

Mr Adamu made this known in Sunyani at a sensitisation workshop for media practitioners on the programme.

He said in the 2007-2008 academic year a total of 441,189 pupils benefited from the GSFP while the figure jumped to 58,025 in 2008-2009.

Mr Adamu said Ghana could not afford to lose such a laudable programme and called for the passage of a legislative instrument to support its implementation.

He also called for a clear national policy document to guide the implementation of the programme.

The National Co-ordinator expressed regret that the GSFP had not achieved its goals to increase school enrolment, attendance and retention especially in deprived communities and reduce hunger and malnutrition among pupils.

“Schools in deprived communities which are expected to benefit from the programme have been wrongly excluded.”

Mr Adamu said the national secretariat of the programme was undertaking

re-structuring and re-targeting exercises to among other things ensure that it met its targets.

He asked key actors of the GSFP to play their respective roles with commitment to enable the programme to achieve its goals.

Mr Adamu said because of poor management and other challenges that confronted the GSFP, The Netherlands which provided 80 per cent grant to support the programme had withdrawn its funding.

He said during the academic calendar government had paid GH¢50 million out of the proposed budget of GH¢85 million for the implementation of the programme.

Mr Adamu appealed to the media to play its watchdog role with diligence to help ensure that the programme achieved its targets.

Mrs Edna Ganda, Senior Officer at the Management Information System of the programme said the programme spent 80 per cent of the feeding on local farm produce.

Madam Grace Boachie, Regional Co-ordinator of the programme said 262 schools were currently benefiting in the region.

Mr Philip Chaahaah, Regional Co-ordinating Director, who presided over the programme, commended the media for supporting the implementation of national policies and programmes.

He advised the media to be circumspect in their reportage and avoid sensationalism, adding that the sustainability of the programme depended on them.

Mr Chaahaah appealed to the media to alert policy makers to help address challenges that confronted the smooth implementation of the programme in their communities.

GNA