GSFP calls for stronger collaboration with GES to improve school feedings
The National Coordinator of the Ghana School Feeding Programme (GSFP), Hajia Fati Forgor, has called for stronger collaboration between the Programme and the Ghana Education Service (GES) to improve the effective delivery, monitoring and sustainability of school feeding activities across the country.
She made the call in Ho during a workshop for Regional and District Education Directors from the Eastern, Oti and Volta Regions. The workshop was organised to sensitise education authorities on the mandate of the GSFP and strengthen collaboration between the two institutions at the regional and district levels.
Hajia Fati Forgor expressed optimism that the Programme would eventually have coordinators in all districts to facilitate closer engagement with stakeholders, improve monitoring and enhance service delivery.
She also highlighted the contribution of the GSFP to employment creation and women's economic empowerment, explaining that about 90 percent of catering contracts under the Programme are awarded to women, while approximately 10 percent go to men. She said empowering women has a broader impact on households and contributes to lifting families out of poverty.
According to the National Coordinator, the GSFP has contracted about 13,500 caterers nationwide, who have engaged approximately 27,000 cooks. This brings the number of people directly employed through the Programme to about 40,500, excluding auxiliary and other related services generated through school feeding activities.
She further disclosed that the Programme currently covers about 70 percent of public schools from Kindergarten One to Primary Six, with efforts underway to extend coverage to the remaining 30 percent.
Hajia Fati Forgor appealed to GES officials and basic school headteachers to provide accurate and timely school data, stressing that reliable data is essential for effective planning and expanding feeding coverage to more beneficiaries.
On funding, she said government increased the feeding grant from GH¢1.50 to GH¢2.00 per beneficiary pupil last year, while efforts are being made by the sector minister to secure a further increase in the grant.
She also disclosed that government spends about GH¢1.5 billion annually on the School Feeding Programme, underscoring the need for all stakeholders to strengthen collaboration and complement government's efforts to sustain the initiative.
The workshop provided a platform for the GSFP and education authorities to discuss ways of improving coordination, data management and monitoring to ensure the effective implementation of the School Feeding Programme.
Source: Northwebonline.com
