Ghana School Feeding Program; The Way Forward

In an attempt to reduce poverty, increase enrollment as well as retention among some basic school children in Ghana, the then government of the day in partnership with the Dutch government started a program in Ghana known as the "School Feeding Program". With reference to www.schoolfeeding.gov.gh , the school Feeding is described as an initiative of the Comprehensive African Agricultural Development Program with ( CAADP) pillar 3which seeks to enhance food security and reduce hunger as in line with the United Nations Millennium Development Goal which seeks to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger (Millennium Development Goal 1).

As a policy measure, the government of Ghana piloted the School Feeding Program in the year 2005 to provide food to basic school children with the specific goal of reducing hunger, malnutrition, increasing enrollment and boosting domestic food productions among deprived communities in Ghana. As years went by, the School Feeding Program chalked a number of success stories due to the number of beneficiaries by then. The program helped increased enrollment among some basic schools in the country. It also helped in preventing students absenteeism as well as increasing retention among some of the pupils.

Eventhough the program recorded all these successes,it encounted shortfalls and challenges as well. An encounter with some headteachers and caterers from selected schools revealed that politicization of the program was a big challenge to them. According to the headteachers, some caterers behave with impunity due to the perceived political clouts, they went to say the caterers do whatever they like such as reporting to work late and stealing some of the food stuffs as well. In some cases, some District Chief Executives (DCE 's) also ban monitors from coming to their districts for monitoring because of their political power. Some DCE's also try all means to make the monitors feel uncomfortable in their districts as well.

Indepth investigations also showed that some of the headteachers as well As the some school teachers in wanting the downfall of the program intentionally urge the pupils to refuse the foods being served to them by caterers and complain about the quality and the nutritious states of those foods that have been served. Due to political interference, some caterers are even contracted without them even undergoing the required procurement process.

It is even sad to note that in some areas, it is the wives of the District Implementation Officers who are the caterers on board. A caterer who agreed to speak to me on the basis of anonymity said from May 2016 till date, not even a pesewa has been paid by the School Feeding Secretariat to them, with this,it means that the caterers will have to be borrowing the food stuffs from local customers to be cooking for the pupils and be waiting till the School Feeding Secretariat pays them before they also pay their customers. She further stressed that each pupil is been fed on GH¢0.84 per day. According to her, the money is been paid through MTN mobile money. With this,the secretariat deducts tax from this meagre amount and upon withdrawal too, the Mobile money vendors also deduct tax leaving them with only GH¢0.54 per each pupil.

How then will this amount be used to feed a child?. Checks at the School Feeding Secretariat revealed that the caterers are being owed an amount of GH¢140,000.00 and various efforts by the caterers to get this amount from both the secretariat as well as the Gender and Social Protection Ministry have proved futile.

In conclusion, there's still hope whilst the sunshine, I will urge the government to completely de-politicize the program in order to serve all beneficiaries equally.

Also, irrespective of the status of any personality, the required procurement processes should be strictly followed before contracts are being awarded to caterers.Ti

I will also plead with the Gender and Social Protection Ministry as well as the School Feeding Secretariat to review their existing policies and increase the daily amount of money spent on each pupil per day.

GOD BLESS OUR HOMELAND GHANA AND MAKE OUR NATION GREAT AND STRONG.

ASANTE RICHARD,
TECHIMAN MUNICIPAL HEALTH DIRECTORATE.