School feeding programme needs urgent funds

Accra, Aug. 29, GNA - The Ghana School Feeding Programme could not continue to run as planned if funds were not released on time to address the ever increasing enrolment level of pupils following the establishment of the programme, Dr Kwame Amoako Tuffuor, Executive Chairman of the Programme, said on Tuesday.

He noted that the delay in the release of funds coupled with the growing enrolment level of pupil had become a major set back to the progressive running of the programme.

Dr Tuffuor, who was interacting with newsmen in Accra on the fundamental challenges of the programme, said as at now the Secretariat had received about 6.4 billion cedis out of the budgeted sum of 160 billion cedis to feed more than 200,000 children.

The Dutch Government promised to meet Ghana half way with the cost.

He explained that the programme had led to enormous increase in the enrolment of pupils citing a school in the Brong Ahafo Region, which had initial population of 170 pupils but rose to 400 pupils and currently there were 700 pupils and said 93under the circumstance we cannot run without swift inflow of funds=94.

Dr Tuffuor stressed that the programme was not only looking at feeding the pupils but rather providing them with highly nutritious meal to boost their growth and enhance their resistance to diseases. He noted that Ghana's programme structure had received recognition among her peers and within international circles despite the short period of its running and that all hands must be on deck to ensure the sustainability of the programme.

The Secretariat, Dr Tuffuor noted had map up strategies to keep the programme on its toes with the introduction of regional and district warehousing scheme to buy and stock surplus produce which would also enhance national food security.

The Executive Chairman noted that the programme intended to create a micro processing plant to process perishable and other foods that would be preserved on shelves for use in the event of unpredictable weather condition.

Dr Tuffuor said small-scale farmers would be encouraged to expand their production capacity to meet the daily demand of the programme as well as rope in other interested individuals into farming activity adding that that this in a way would provide job for the unemployed youth who were parading the streets.

He noted that there was absolutely no reason why rice should be imported, rather farmers must be supported to scale up their farming activity indicating that every nation's survival was tied to being self-sufficient in food production.

Dr Tuffuor called on the public to take time off and to walk to any of the schools under the programme to see whether the food quality and quantity were of the required standard and to make their observations known to the local implementing committee to ensure that they did not slacken.