Ghana is touted as one the few African countries which has made significant progress in reducing poverty and undernourishment over the past two decades. Despite these impressive results, more than a quarter of its population still lives below the national poverty line, and economic improvements remain unevenly distributed geographically. Poverty remains particularly high in the rural areas and in Ghana’s three northern regions where between 52 and 88 percent of the people are poor.
As part of poverty reduction measures, the Government introduced some safety-net programs to cushion its most vulnerable citizens. Notable among these was the Ghana School Feeding Program (GSFP) which was launched in 2005 and designed to contribute to the reduction of hunger and malnutrition; increase enrolment, attendance and retention; improve academic performance; and provide markets for domestic farm produce. The GSFP was initially piloted in ten schools across the country and has currently been expanded to cover 975 schools.
WFP Ghana signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the GSFP in 2007 to contribute to the speedy scale-up of the national school feeding program. The WFP/GSFP collaboration is concentrated in Ghana’s three northern regions, which are beset by the highest levels of poverty, food insecurity, malnutrition, and maternal and child mortality (children under 5) nationwide, as well as low primary school enrolment rates.
In the following interview with Ismail Omer of the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) we will examine school feeding in Ghana.
How many children are benefiting from the WFP school feeding programs within the country?
The Ghana school feeding program reached 476,083 pupils in 975 schools across the country in the 2007/2008 academic year. Out of this number, WFP school meals were provided to 41,324 children in 80 schools, while take-home rations, aimed at increasing girls' education, were given to 34,754 primary school girls. Onsite school feeding is being expanded to reach 100,000 pupils in the 2008/2009 academic year.
Discuss what effect the meals have on the children in terms of school attendance, performance, and nutrition.
School meals are generally credited with increasing enrolment, attendance, and retention rates. This is reflected in the Ghana School Feeding Program’s record in the 2006/2007 academic year, when national enrolment increased by 21 percent.
Enrolment rates in WFP-assisted schools in the Bolgatanga and Bongo Districts increased by 14 and 10 percent respectively. Pupils benefiting from WFP assistance have the added advantage of being fed with micro-nutrient-rich foods such as fortified Corn Soya Blend, iodized salt, and palm oil. These are fortified with Vitamin A, iron, and iodine, targeted to combat vitamin and mineral deficiencies, which are silent killers of women and children in developing countries. Furthermore, WFP purchases required food commodities from Ghanaian farmers and producers, thereby boosting their income and contributing to the development of the agro-processing industry.
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