The newly appointed National Coordinator of the Ghana School Feeding Program (GSFP), Mr. Michael Nsowah has revealed that despite the numerous benefits of the GSFP, it is an expensive program for a developing country like Ghana to fully implement.
He has therefore called on all stakeholders to consider other innovations that would sustain the programme beyond the current package.
According to the National Coordinator, currently various options being considered to help make the program sustainable are in the form of general or special taxes that would be acceptable to the public such as cost sharing by central, local governments and the communities.
Mr. Nsowah revealed that while some aspects of the program are implemented other equally important aspects such as the de-worming are yet to start. In addition collaboration with the Ministry of Food and Agriculture to link up with small local farmers is yet to materialize.
The National Coordinator said this in Accra when the secretariat took its turn at the Meet the Press series organized by the Ministry of Information and National Orientation.
According to him, it is hoped that one million school children within the public kindergarten and primary schools across the country would benefit from the on-going School Feeding Program by the year 2010.
The Ghana School Feeding Program (GSFP) which began in 2005 in 10 pilot schools across the ten regions currently benefits 987 public schools with a total number of 477,714 children in all the 170 districts across the country.
Mr. Michael Nsowah said the introduction of the program helped increase enrolment by 20.3 percent compared to an average of 2.8 percent in other schools. Besides, there has been improved attendance by 19.3 percent in schools benefiting from the program compared -3.2 percent in non-GSFP schools.
He said communities targeted to benefit from the program include those with low school attendance rate, low school enrolment, high school drop-out rates, high communal spirit, high community management capability, increased utilization of diversified balanced local diets and judicious management of their environment.
Mr. Nsowah indicated that the program which ensures that school children enjoy one meal a day would help improve the nutritional status of the children since essential nutrients like vitamin A, iron and iodine are present in the food prepared.
Mr. Nsowah flanked by his three new deputy coordinators and other staff of the secretariat said the program will lead to a reduction in child mortality rate and help children with health related diseases.
In addition he said the knowledge acquired through the nutrition and health education component of the program as well as the involvement of community women in preparing the meals would have multiplier effects on families.
The National Coordinator said they are targeting to procure at least 80 percent of the food from the locality of beneficiary communities.
This according to him provides a ready market for local farmers and would encourage food crop farmers to produce more and reduce post harvest losses.
Mr. Nsowah said this would help impact positively on farm household incomes in the participating communities since the secretariat targets that 80 percent of the feeding cost for the program would go into the local economy.
"There is also the impact of school feeding on the private sector which includes among others, the supply of kitchen inputs and ancillary equipment as well as employment opportunities in preparation and serving of school meals," he added.
He disclosed that the total budget for the program for the five- year period is estimated at 328 million dollars and this comprises a capital expenditure of $287 million and other expenditures of $26 million.
In addition the Netherlands government supports the GSFP by co-funding the feeding cost on a 50:50 basis but with an annual ceiling.
He indicated that the secretariat has written a memo to government for an increment in the amount spent per child from the current GH¢3 per day to GH¢4.
Touching on the challenges he indicated the need for extra effort to bring all partners on board with clear roles and proper linkages.
Also there is the need for closer collaboration as well as a clearer delineation of roles and functions among all stakeholders.
He said that a baseline study has been designed to support effective program management on a consistent basis and to enable a consistent monitoring and evaluation program.
According to him the initial steps included the formation of a technical group of the collaborating MDAs who as part of their normal routine collect data that will be of relevance as baseline data for the GSFP.
The Minister for Information and National Orientation, Mr. Stephen Asamoah Boateng called on Ghanaians to support the government's mitigation programs since to reduce the current hardships the nation is facing.
Mr. Asamoah Boateng said that the government acknowledges the suffering of the people and will ensure that the mitigating programmes benefit all Ghanaians.
