WFP assists GES to monitor Upper West School Feeding Programme effectively
The World Food Programme (WFP) has donated a Toyota Pick-Up at the cost of GH¢50,668.00 to the Upper West Regional Directorate of the Ghana Education Service (GES) to facilitate the effective monitoring of the School Feeding Programme in the Region.
The vehicle will be used to assist in monitoring the 215 schools in the region that were benefiting from the WFP support under the School Feeding Programme.
The WFP currently supports the government to feed 487 primary schools in Northern Ghana out of which 215 schools are in the Upper West Region.
Alhaji Ismail Umar, the Country Director for WFP, who made the presentation at Wa on Thursday said, the Programme had supported the National School Feeding Program since 2007 with focus on northern Ghana.
He said food insecurity in northern Ghana was still high and primary school enrolment and attendance rates were low.
Mr. Umar stated that the WFP assistance to the National School Feeding Programme had three-prong impact on national development – improving school enrolment, attendance and retention.
It also focuses on reducing short-term hunger and malnutrition through the provision of fortified foods and providing Ghanaians farmers with local markets.
Mr. Charles Ahato Chegah, the Deputy Director General of the Ghana Education Service stated that the GES had the core mandate to provide good quality education in the country, which was being done through working in partnership with various organisations and development agencies.
He said a total of 1,799,900 school children had benefited from the WFP assisted school feeding programme in northern Ghana out of which 66,000 school children benefited in the Upper West Region.
He stated that the Upper West Region was challenged in terms of farmers’ inability to produce to sustain them through the entire year since the climatic condition in the Region was not favorable for all year farming.
Mr. Iddrisu Mahama, the Regional Director of Education, lauded the WFP for supporting the region with the vehicle and assured that they would take good care of it and ensured that it was used for its intended purpose.
Source: GNA