School feeding programme will benefit the local communities

On Thursday, the Prime Minister launched the national schools’ feeding programme in Kamonyi District, Southern Province. The first phase of the Programme will see about 3000 primary school children get milk at least twice a week. The feeding scheme will go a long way in enhancing the children’s active learning capacity, providing an incentive for children to attend school regularly and address certain nutritional deficiencies. The programme is also a reflection of the government’s strategic framework to get and keep every child in school as well as contributing to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Poor nutrition is a problem in certain families. Some parents are subsistence farmers working hard to grow enough food to feed their families. This programme will help supplement what the children eat at home. If the children are assured of proper meals at school, they will have more energy, therefore, working hard to become responsible citizens in future. Important to note is that this program bears a link to agricultural development. Through the scheme, milk will be purchased from local farmers and this will help boost their income. With the nine year basic education getting into full gear, more farmers will be assured of ready markets, not only improving their standards of living, but also overall development of the local communities as a result of a higher purchasing power. Ends

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School feeding programme will benefit the local communities