GSFP HOLDS SENSITIZATION WORKSHOP
GSFP HOLDS SENSITIZATION WORKSHOP
BY PETER ATOGEWE WEDAM
ISD-BOLGATANGA MUNICIPAL 09/11/2009
A major challenge that has confronted the Ghana School Feeding Programme (GSFP) since its inception in October 2005 is lack of information for key stakeholders regarding their roles and responsibilities and how they relate to one another.
The Upper East Regional Minister, Honourable Mark Owen Woyongo made this observation in a speech read for him by the Deputy Upper East Regional Minister, Mrs. Lucy Awuni at Bolgatanga to open a sensitisation workshop on the GSFP.
Hon. Woyongo noted that many key stakeholders including municipal and district assemblies, education and health officers and communities have not been involved in decision making and this has adversely affected the smooth operation of the GSFP.
He therefore praised the ministry of local government and rural development for organising the sensitisation workshop to sharpen the knowledge and skills of various stakeholders to ensure the effective and efficient implementation of the GSFP.
The regional minister said government is committed to reviewing the implementation process of the GSFP and will subsequently absorb it into the Ghana Education Service placing it under the authority of the district directorates of education.
He further stated that the Ghana Health Service (GHS) plays a central role in the school feeding Programme and tasked staff of the GHS to visit beneficiary schools frequently to de-worm school children and carry out other health checks.
According to Honourable Woyongo, no single stakeholder can work alone for the realisation of the set goals of the school feeding programme thus all must work as a team for efficient implementation.
A lead facilitator of the workshop, Mrs. Irene Messiba in her presentation disclosed that the Ghana School Feeding Programme is an initiative of the Comprehensive African Agricultural Development Programme pillar III which seeks to enhance food security and to reduce hunger in line with the MDGs on hunger, poverty and malnutrition.
Mrs. Messiba said the GSFP began as a pilot in ten schools in late 2005 as a strategy to increase domestic food production leading to improved household incomes and food security in deprived communities in Ghana as food stuffs are purchased from local farmers.
Mrs. Messiba who is also a staff of the ministry of local government and rural development said the GSFP is fashioned out to feed school children in selected public primary schools and kindergartens with one hot nutritious meal on every school going day. This will reduce short term hunger and malnutrition among children.
She however cautioned caterers under the program to desist from using school children in the cause of their duties. She said under no circumstance, should children be made to fetch water, wash cooking utensils or cart firewood for the preparation of meals.
Her presentation also revealed that the Dutch government has voted 12.8 million Ghana Cedis in support of the school feeding programme after earlier withdrawing from it. She said the Ghana government is the main implementer of the programme with support comes from various partners including the World Food Progamme, World Vision International, SNV among many others.
She called for the establishment of district implantation committees to monitor the GSFP while asking district directors of agriculture to link farmer-based groups to the programme so as to provide them a ready market for their produce.
The Upper East Regional Co-ordinator of the GSFP, Mr. Donatus Akamugri Atanga earlier in a welcome address, said the programme is a laudable one adding that it has led to increased school enrolment.
He appealed to the GSFP secretariat to add more schools under the programme while requesting that the necessary logistics be made available to his office to make work more effective.
An accountant with the school feeding programme, Mr. Afrifa Mensah during his presentation said it is imperative for each district to open a separate account to receive funds from the GSFP Secretariat and signatories to the account should be the district finance officer and the co-ordinating director.
He said money meant for feeding should be used only for that purpose and nothing else since diversion of funds for other activities will contravene the auditing regulations.
He prescribed cheque as the only mode of payment for caterers working under the Programme.
BY PETER ATOGEWE WEDAM
ISD-BOLGATANGA MUNICIPAL 09/11/2009
A major challenge that has confronted the Ghana School Feeding Programme (GSFP) since its inception in October 2005 is lack of information for key stakeholders regarding their roles and responsibilities and how they relate to one another.
The Upper East Regional Minister, Honourable Mark Owen Woyongo made this observation in a speech read for him by the Deputy Upper East Regional Minister, Mrs. Lucy Awuni at Bolgatanga to open a sensitisation workshop on the GSFP.
Hon. Woyongo noted that many key stakeholders including municipal and district assemblies, education and health officers and communities have not been involved in decision making and this has adversely affected the smooth operation of the GSFP.
He therefore praised the ministry of local government and rural development for organising the sensitisation workshop to sharpen the knowledge and skills of various stakeholders to ensure the effective and efficient implementation of the GSFP.
The regional minister said government is committed to reviewing the implementation process of the GSFP and will subsequently absorb it into the Ghana Education Service placing it under the authority of the district directorates of education.
He further stated that the Ghana Health Service (GHS) plays a central role in the school feeding Programme and tasked staff of the GHS to visit beneficiary schools frequently to de-worm school children and carry out other health checks.
According to Honourable Woyongo, no single stakeholder can work alone for the realisation of the set goals of the school feeding programme thus all must work as a team for efficient implementation.
A lead facilitator of the workshop, Mrs. Irene Messiba in her presentation disclosed that the Ghana School Feeding Programme is an initiative of the Comprehensive African Agricultural Development Programme pillar III which seeks to enhance food security and to reduce hunger in line with the MDGs on hunger, poverty and malnutrition.
Mrs. Messiba said the GSFP began as a pilot in ten schools in late 2005 as a strategy to increase domestic food production leading to improved household incomes and food security in deprived communities in Ghana as food stuffs are purchased from local farmers.
Mrs. Messiba who is also a staff of the ministry of local government and rural development said the GSFP is fashioned out to feed school children in selected public primary schools and kindergartens with one hot nutritious meal on every school going day. This will reduce short term hunger and malnutrition among children.
She however cautioned caterers under the program to desist from using school children in the cause of their duties. She said under no circumstance, should children be made to fetch water, wash cooking utensils or cart firewood for the preparation of meals.
Her presentation also revealed that the Dutch government has voted 12.8 million Ghana Cedis in support of the school feeding programme after earlier withdrawing from it. She said the Ghana government is the main implementer of the programme with support comes from various partners including the World Food Progamme, World Vision International, SNV among many others.
She called for the establishment of district implantation committees to monitor the GSFP while asking district directors of agriculture to link farmer-based groups to the programme so as to provide them a ready market for their produce.
The Upper East Regional Co-ordinator of the GSFP, Mr. Donatus Akamugri Atanga earlier in a welcome address, said the programme is a laudable one adding that it has led to increased school enrolment.
He appealed to the GSFP secretariat to add more schools under the programme while requesting that the necessary logistics be made available to his office to make work more effective.
An accountant with the school feeding programme, Mr. Afrifa Mensah during his presentation said it is imperative for each district to open a separate account to receive funds from the GSFP Secretariat and signatories to the account should be the district finance officer and the co-ordinating director.
He said money meant for feeding should be used only for that purpose and nothing else since diversion of funds for other activities will contravene the auditing regulations.
He prescribed cheque as the only mode of payment for caterers working under the Programme.
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