Zanzibar School Feeding Scheme Now Re-Introduced

BY ISSA YUSSUF, 4 JUNE 2014.

Zanzibar — Zanzibar Deputy Minister for Trade, Industries and Marketing Ms Thuwaiba Kissasi re-launches school feeding programme at Kijini Primary School in Zanzibar.

PUPILS, teachers and parents at Kijini village in North 'A' district in Zanzibar joined together recently to celebrate the revival of the school feeding programme which was abandoned in the 1970s.

It is believed that during that time (1960s and 1970s) when students were provided with proper meals at school, they performed well in classes as they were healthy and active.

"When the programme stopped in primary schools, it had a big impact on the children's growth, learning capability and attendance," said Mr Mussa Omar, a retired teacher at the re-launch of the programme last week.

Mr Omar said children in nursery and primary schools need proper meals for their health.

"They also need body exercises," he said.

The Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training, Ms Mwanaidi Saleh, told the gathering at the re-launch of the 'Home Grown School Feeding' (HGSF) that the scheme would be implemented in nine schools in two districts of Micheweni, Pemba and North 'A'.

She said that statistics in the selected areas show that many children are faced with malnutrition, stunted growth, absenteeism and engaged in child labour. "We thank Partnership for Child Development (PCD) and Table-for-Two (TFT) for accepting Zanzibar's request for support in 2012," she said.

The one-year pilot programme would be extended to other schools in future if it succeeds, Ms Saleh said. A total of 5,250 nursery and primary school pupils are targeted in the HGSF project to be run by several committees.

These committees are HGSF programme Technical Committee with seven members picked from ministries of health, agriculture and Education ministries; National Food Security and Nutrition (NFSN) committee and schools committees in the selected schools.

"Objectives of the project include providing a meal to each student during school days, improving child health and protection against malnutrition and maintaining good attendance of pupils," said Ms Saleh.

HGSF is an opportunity for farmers to have reliable market for their products and the programme will be used to motivate teachers and students to establish farms under the programme.

According to Ms Saleh, implementation of the project is in line with national development strategies which include Vision 2020, MKUZA II, Zanzibar Education Policy (2006), Zanzibar Health Policy, and the National Food Security and Nutrition Policy and Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

"It is good that the parents, teachers, community leaders and pupils have welcomed the food programme. Allowances for cooks will be paid by respective schools," explained the Principal Secretary. Village leaders and government officers lined up at the ceremony to launch HGSF thanking Partnership for Child Development (PCD) and Table-for-Two (TFT) for their support.

North 'A' District Commissioner Ms Riziki Juma Simai, said: "Children stop absenteeism, get out of child labour and work hard in your studies since good meals will be provided at school."

The colourful event was also witnessed by villagers and community leaders (Shehas) who expressed happiness about the relaunch of the programme. Deputy Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Dr Juma Ali, said that commitment and collaboration would make the programme a success.

"We will motivate and mobilize farmers to have good harvest," said Mr Ali as the Deputy Minister for Trade, Industries and Marketing, Ms Thuwaiba Kissasi, called for sustainability in crop production.

PCD's East Africa Senior Programme Manager, Iain Gardiner, said: "This programme is the first of its kind for Zanzibar and marks the government's awareness on the value of school meals." He continued: "Not only will children be well fed in school but also jobs will be created for farmers involved in growing, processing and preparing food for schools.

Research shows that when children are well fed they are more able to concentrate and and stay in school and that when these programmes source food locally they have the potential to build strong rural economies.

In northern regions of Pemba and Unguja where the programme would be implemented extreme poverty and child malnutrition is rife and only 66 per cent of pupils finish their primary education.

TFT secretary general Ms Michiko Ando said: "We are honoured to partner with PCD at this time -- its 20 years of quality monitoring of effective school health programmes have heightened the importance of school meals."

HGSF is highlighted in the New Partnership for Africa's Development's (NEPAD) vision for nationally owned, sustainable programmes aimed at improving the food security of smallholder farmers, many of whom are women.

PCD is a global consortium of civil society organizations, academic institutions and technical experts, with a coordinating centre based within the Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Imperial College, London.

Since its creation in 1992 it has been at the forefront of harmonizing multisectoral efforts to enable low-income countries to implement effective, scaled, and sustainable school health and nutrition programmes.

Currently, the organisation works with over 50 countries and over 100 development partners at international, regional, subregional and country levels.

TFT addresses the opposing issues of malnutrition and obesity through a unique "calorie transfer" programme. It partners with corporations, restaurants, university dining halls and other food establishments to serve healthy meals.

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