WFP food assistance for 58 schools in Upper West Region ending

Wa, July 23, GNA - The World Food Programme (WFP)"Emergency School Feeding Programme" which 58 schools in the Upper West Region are benefiting from is at its final stage.

The WFP assistance is being implemented in schools at Jirapa, Lawra, Nadowli, Wa East and Wa West districts. Mr. Kassi Abdul-Latif, Field Aid Monitor of the WFP, said this when he briefed the Upper West Regional Minister, Mr. Mahmud Khalid, during a courtesy call on him by officials from the United Nations. He said 58 schools in the nine districts of the region are benefiting from the Ghana School Feeding Programme while some 49 health centres are provided with supplementary food assistance to cater for malnourished children under the WFP's Emergency Supplementary Feeding Programme.

Mr. Abdul-Latif said WFP had established 58 community based feeding centres to cater for children between two and five years. Pregnant and lactating mothers are also provided with dry ration in the beneficiary communities. He said the beneficiary communities have engaged volunteer teachers to prepare the children for pre-schooling at the centres under the programme.

Mr. Abdul-Latif said the organisation had introduced Vulnerable Group Feeding in four communities in the Wa East District in collaboration with Care International, a non-governmental organisation. The WFP has provided some women groups in Nadowli, Sissala East and Wa East and Wa Municipal with milling and fortification machines to help them generate income and also improve intake of micro-nutrients. He said schools in Lawra, Nadowli, Sissala East and Sissala West districts are being assisted with take home food ration for girls to promote girl-child education.