BY MENGISTEAB TESHOME
It is crystal clear and scientifically proven that sufficient and well-balanced nutritional intake is crucial in early childhood and is linked in several ways to children’s physical and mental development, cognitive performance, school attainment.
In cognizant of the benefits, nations around the world have been applying nutritional interventions including school feeding program in a bid to enhance the human capital development. Since the past few years, Ethiopia has also been implementing school feeding program with the aim to increase students’ enrollment in the school, cut down dropouts and reducing absenteeism among school children thereby enhancing their academic performance and generating well-educated, competitive students; not only nationally but also globally.Currently, the program is benefiting hundreds of thousands of school children and their respective families, especially those with low incomes. A month ago, the Addis Ababa School Feeding Program has received an international recognition at the 8th Milan Urban Food Policy Pact (MUFPP) Global Forum held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil for its outstanding practice, beating 133 cities in the world and making the capital Addis Ababa the first ever city in Africa to win the award.
Truly speaking, the program is of paramount importance in terms of lessening the socioeconomic burden of students, parents and the school community. This is truly proved by parents, students and those in charge of the program
Temesegn Takele, is a father of two girls who are junior students at Menelik II Kindergarten and Primary School. According to him, the program has benefited those parents in poor economic conditions. “The high cost of living is impacting my way of life. While the prices of items are increasing every day, I am facing challenges in feeding my own children. For this reason, the school feeding program launched by the City Administration is a great relief. Thanks to the program, our burden is now eased. Currently, I just send them with hope and courage without a lunchbox.”
The Addis Ababa City Administration deserves recognition at the international level for its commitment for the reason the program shouldered the burden of a number of households and created jobs for fellow citizens. The program made schools the place where children dream for the best and equip themselves with the required skills and knowledge without worrying about their breakfast and lunch.Michael Yisma and Yishak Addis, six graders, are students of Atse Naod Primary School. When approached by this journalist, they did not hide their excitement about the school feeding program. “We came to school with full energy to attend our class without thinking about the food issue.”
Michael further noted that before the program was put in place, he used to carry a lunchbox, and sometimes he leave it for various reasons, but now no worries and frustration, he is comfortable because the program lets him enjoy his food in the school,“Many students were coming along with empty lunchboxes, but now everyone is equal, and we are enjoying it.”Both said that “The variety of menu the school feeding program supplies and the service is good.”
It is clear that today’s school children are tomorrow’s leaders, scientists, professionals and future parents. Therefore, they need to be nourished properly because sufficient intake of dietary foods and drinks can help them grow healthy; improve their cognitive development, their critical thinking skill and innovative capabilities. The general truth states that if and only if a child is nourished well, he/she can grow well, healthy physically and mentally. Thus making sure that children are supplied with the appropriate diet at the desired level and time pays back. If children are well-fed and got proper diet, they become healthy, not exposed to hunger, and they can attend their class attentively because it gives them the energy to attend class properly.
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD SUNDAY EDITION 4 DECEMBER 2022
