German citizen launches school feeding programme…for Nkonya and Alavanyo
The daughter of the development Queenmother of the Alavanyo traditional area, Mama Akosua I, Sara Fayed, both German citizens has launched a ten-year school feeding programme called 'ALAMSAMO,' for the Alavanyo Senior High Technical, and the R.C. Primary at Nkonya.
The feeding programme, which has its motto as: “Into school, out of hunger,” forms part of the German Queenmother's effort to promote education in the two traditional areas, after peace had returned to the area, over decades of land dispute between the two traditional areas.
Speaking at the ceremony, Mama Akosua I noted that her vision for Nkonya, Alavanyo, and Ghana in general, was to make life a little more comfortable for the people, through sound health and education, saying that nutrition was very important in the diet of pupils and students, to promote effective learning among the youth.
She pointed out the feeding programme for the R.C. Primary School, would last for just one year, but was subject to review, while that of the Alavanyo Senior High Technical, would last for a period of ten years, adding that the programme also formed part of the eradication of hunger, among school children in relatively remote areas.
Mama Akosua explained that “Alamsamo” stood for the names of the family of her daughter: Al for Alba, the girl-child of her daughter, AM for Amun, her son, SA for Sara the daughter of the Development Chief, and MO for Mohammed, husband of her daughter.
She stressed that even though it was a political obligation, for the government to ensure the accelerated development of the people, the government could not shoulder such development alone, hence the need for private initiatives like hers, to complement government development activities.
Mama Akosua said hunger and education were enemies, as hungry children could not have the peace of mind to learn, saying “one warm meal a day for free for years is what ALMSAMO stands for.”
This, she observed, would guarantee the peace of mind of the children, to study to correspond with the peace being enjoyed by the two traditional areas.
She said the feeding programme would help poor children break out of the cycle of poverty, and pointed out that studies showed that educated girls married late in life, had fewer children, and in turn were more likely to send their children to school, adding that the feeding programme would definitely increase the earning potentials of parents, since they would no longer sponsor such meals.
Mama Akosua said the feeding programme would create wealth for the people, as more people would be employed to prepare food for the pupils, and food items would be purchased from the local farmers from the communities, and called on chiefs and people in Nkonya and Alavanyo to work hard to protect the peace in the area saying with peace much development could be achieved.
The two paramount chiefs of Nkonya and Alavanyo, who were present at the function, commended the Volta Regional Coordinating Council and the Mediation and Consultative Councils, for their efforts, which they noted, had started yielding fruit, and pledged to maintain the existing peace in the area.
The Paramount Chief of Alavanyo, Togbega Tsedze Atakora VII, appealed to the government to tar the Gbi-Wegbe-Alavanyo Nkonya roads, which linked the two areas, to open up the area to help deepen the peace process.
The Hohoe Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Mr. Peter John Amewu, commended the German woman for her initiative, saying the Assembly would embrace individuals, and groups of people who wanted to push government's development agenda forward, and said the school feeding programme, introduced by the government, was on a pilot basis in selected schools in the municipality.