The National Coordinator of the Ghana School Feeding Programme, Madam Gertrude Quashigah, has announced plans to train caterers to effectively manage costs and reduce food wastage while cooking nutritious meals for school children.
The training aims to help caterers increase their profits by utilizing the GHS1.00 per child budget more efficiently.
Madam Quashigah made this announcement during a workshop focused on disseminating the Landscape Analysis Report on Rice Fortification.
The workshop shared findings from a comprehensive report on rice fortification and discussed strategies to enhance the nutritional value of school meals through fortified rice.
The workshop marks the beginning of a two-and-a-half-year project by the World Food Programme, funded by the Rockefeller Foundation and Royal DSM.
The project aims to improve the nutritional needs of school children through the Ghana School Feeding Programme, with a focus on enhancing the nutritional value of rice.
Madam Quashigah acknowledged the need for an increase in funding but emphasized that nutritious meals can still be prepared for the children with the current budget.
She mentioned that a proposed increment from GH₵1.00 to GH₵1.20 per child head has been agreed upon, with ongoing discussions with the Finance Ministry for further increments.
Certified training programmes will be provided to caterers, enabling them to assess and improve their work. Madam Patience Asiedu, Head of Nutrition at the World Food Programme, highlighted that the project aims to support the government’s efforts in boosting local rice production. The capacity of 5,000 smallholder farmers and 10 rice millers will be enhanced to support local rice production for the School Feeding Programme.
The Ghana School Feeding Programme, initiated by the government in 2005, aims to provide food to children in public basic schools from kindergarten to primary six.
It aims to increase school enrollment, attendance, and retention, reduce hunger and malnutrition, and promote domestic food production. Currently, the programme benefits 3,801,491 pupils, employs 34,350 cooks and caterers, and covers 10,832 public basic schools nationwide.