The Ghana School Feeding Programme (GSFP) and its development partner, the World Food Programme (WFP), have carried out a joint national monitoring of the programme in some selected districts in four regions.

It is meant to assess the impact of the practical nutrition and innovation training organized for caterers and head cooks in 2019.

A statement from the Public Relations Office of the GSFP said the week-long joint monitoring was done in the Sekyere Kumawu, Sekyere Afram Plains, Sekyere East, Adansi North, Bekwai Municipal, Adansi South, Obuasi Municipal, Adansi Akrofrom and Obuasi East districts in the Ashanti Region.

The others were Sene West, Sene East, Pru West and Pru East in the Bono East Region, Asunafo North and Asunafo South in the Ahafo Region and Tain district and Wenchi Municipal in the Bono Region.

The training of the GSFP caterers held in 2019 was funded by the WFP with technical support from the Women In Agricultural Development (WIAD), Partnership for Child Development (PCD) and AUDA-NEPAD.

It was aimed at empowering the caterers and the cooks on school meal preparation, the use of the GSFP handy measures, texturized soy protein (TSP) and the daily records form to record daily cooking activities.

Mrs Akyere Manu-Frimpong, Director for Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) for GSFP, said that the monitoring tour was to get first-hand information on the impact of the practical training.

She indicated that it was also to assess the development, use and provision of the district menus for the preparation of GSFP meals, monitor personal hygiene of caterers, assess the impact of COVID-19 on school attendance and assess the use of the Texturized Soy Protein (TSP), among others.

Mrs Manu-Frimpong said the national monitoring, which started on 13th June 2021 ended on 20th June 2021.

The exercise was supported by the key collaborative Ministries such as the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Local Government, Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection; as well as the GSFP Regional Coordinators, District Desk Officers, and District Nutrition Officers.

She said at the end of the weeklong monitoring, it was expected that the caterers, the districts and the regions that benefited from the 2019 nutrition training would have their district Menu tables developed, using the school meal planner.

The Ghana School Feeding Programme currently provides daily hot meals to over 3.4 million pupils from over 10,000 deprived schools in all the 260 districts of Ghana.

It was introduced in 2005 to improve the nutrition of pupils, increase school enrolment, attendance and retention.