The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection (MoGCSP) says about 17,440 private and public basic schools have so far been captured to benefit from the one hot meal directed by President Akufo-Addo for all final-year junior high school (JHS) students and their teachers for a 20-day period.
President Nana Addo Dankwah Akufo-Addo during his 15th national address on measures taken against the spread of COVID-19, directed the Gender Ministry to provide the meals as they write this year’s Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE).
The Minister of MoGCSP, Mrs Cynthia Mamle Morrison, in an interview with Accra based radio station, Peace FM, said all was set for the distribution, stating that the first meal; “jollof” rice and an egg, would be served across the country.
She said their monitoring team, representatives of the Ministry and zonal coordinators were all at post monitoring the distribution.
“All caterers in the existing school feeding schools have taken their position across the country. The non-school feeding schools would be captured so far as there are form three students”, she said.
She said they were working in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Health and Finance, adding that the meals are being funded from the Ministry’s feeding programme budget for the year.
One hot meal
Mrs. Morrision gave the assurance that they would be consistent in providing eggs daily, noting that local poultry farmers within the various districts and localities, particularly those in Brong Ahafo and the Ashanti regions farmers have agreed to supply eggs for the programme.
She noted that she would be on the ground, together with the Chief of Staff at the Presidency, Mrs Akosua Frema Osei Opare to get the actual number of all students that would be served the meals.
“Some few challenges we have is that some of the schools have their own feeding programme; some parents have also already paid for the children’s feeding, so in cases like that we do not add them to our list,” she noted.
In view of the meals to be served, she said “there would be a variety of meals on the menu including, Banku, Beans, Tuo Zaafi, Yam, Waakye among other local foods. This is to allow the caterers to cook meals with ingredients that are readily available in their region.
She assured the public particularly parents that the meals to be served would be of good quality, noting also that local products would be purchased from local farmers.
“I have been assured that there would be enough Veronica buckets, soap and adequate water would be available at the schools to ensure proper handwashing,” she added.
