Zim to host AU school feeding celebrations
ZIMBABWE will host the third Africa Day of School Feeding commemorations at Glen View 2 Primary School in Harare on Thursday.
Several delegates from the continent are expected to attend the event, which will provide an opportunity for experts in school feeding programmes to share experiences.
Addressing journalists in Harare yesterday, Primary and Secondary Education Minister Professor Paul Mavima said the commemorations would be held under the theme “Realising African Child Full Potential Through Effective Home Grown School Feeding”.
“The forum presents an opportunity for the 54 African countries, partners and experts to share best practices on home grown school feeding.
“The commemorations will begin on Tuesday with an African Union School feeding cluster/network meeting where the AU department of human resources, science and technology, Government, school feeding practitioners and experts will deliberate on the role of partners on the AU school feeding cluster/network.
“They will also deliberate on the concept and roadmap of the school feeding cluster, activities, challenges and prospects in the network and the action plan for the 2018/19.The session is expected to produce a draft or work plan of cluster coordination,” he said.
On Wednesday, the programme will focus on an annual continental workshop on home grown school feeding with presentations from the AU commission, World Food Programme, UNESCO and Centre for Excellence in Brazil among others.
Prof Mavima said the ministry was focused and committed to its mandate of providing equitable access to quality inclusive education to all learners and feeding programme was part of it.
“This is a national programme, we have delivered grain to all schools and this is in form of maize while communities provide the relish.
“We have been to quite a number of schools and the programme is now covering all the learners at schools from Early Childhood Development to Grade Seven. The schools are also happy with the contributions being made by the communities in providing relish.
“Where this has happened schools have indicated that attendance has gone up. We are quite happy with what we are doing as a nation,” he said.
According to Prof Mavima, majority of schools welcomed this programme as the problem of hunger was not only a rural phenomena.
“We have 9 000 schools, the majority in rural areas and some of the areas are drought prone. We need to provide the water that can make the school feeding programme sustainable,” he said.
The secretary for Primary and Secondary Education Dr Slyvia UteteMasango said there were companies that were assisting schools through drilling boreholes and establishing gardens.
“Most of these schools are also growing various types of vegetables to augment those provided by parents. WFP has drilled boreholes and set up gardens at a number of schools, especially in Zvishavane and Binga. The children are given a balanced meals and this is different from just bringing starch to school.
“We are celebrating something that is happening on the ground and we can not undermine the importance of home grown feeding. The programme is also empowering communities,” she said.