Healthy diet should be a household routine after school feeding

By The Inspirer writer.

Addressing children’s hunger during the school day through school feeding program has been an integral part of the Government’s strategy that support Rwandans’ human capital creation; and to expand access to educational opportunities to disadvantaged children particularly learners from low wealth families.

A National Comprehensive School Feeding Policy was approved in 2019 with policy actions that are aligned and contribute to the achievement of the National Strategy for Transformation (NST1), the Education Sector Strategic Plan (ESSP 2018/19- 2023/2024) and other related policies aiming at operationalizing the Government’s School Feeding Program.

However, some parents request the Government and partners to expand the program and help them prepare same healthy foods at home.

Some parents raise an issue that children are not happy with the meals at home after school because they are used to enjoying the food at school.

Alphonsine Mukaneza, a parent from Kicukiro District said that parents need capacity building programs for them to acquire knowledge of how to prepare efficient food at home using accessible and affordable food stuffs.

“We appreciate the Government’s school feeding program and it helps our children to grow healthy and strong. But, concerned authorities in charge of wellbeing should approach parents in the households and show them how efficient, healthy diet is prepared by using the available food stuffs.” Mukaneza said.

It was also revealed that some children deny to eat sweet potatoes at home and ask their parents why they do not cook same food they eat at school.

To support school feeding program, the Government provides 40 percent of the amount needed to feed children at school while parents provide a remaining contribution of 60 percent.

Both parents (father and mother) have the primary responsibilities to provides children with efficient and healthy diet.

Efficient child nutrition also boosts child’s growth and enables his/her performance at school and at the labour market according to experts.

Speaking at the inauguration campaign of Home-Grown School Feeding Program (HGSF) at Ayabaraya cell, Masaka sector in Kicukiro District on February 28, 2022, Gaspard Twagirayezu, the Permanent Secretary in charge of primary and secondary education said that the Government is looking at the bigger vision to continue providing children with whatever necessary to ensure academic performance.

He noted that the Government has so far completed 2,468 kitchens to enable schools prepare the meals of children.

He added that the Government of Rwanda in partnership other development partners including World Food Program (WFP) have established a teaching manual of how efficient child diet is prepared and has so far provided food stuffs to 117,000 students from 136 schools.

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