By; ALEX UANGBAOJE, Kaduna
Traders and motorcycle riders in Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State on Thursday, commended the Federal Government for initiating its National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme (NHGSFP) across public primary schools in the country.
They gave the commendation when a team from an NGO, Center for Media Advocacy for Mother and Child (CAMAC), visited Kasuwa Magani community to sensitize them on the need to make their children and wards available for the programme and the overall benefits of it to their community and country in general.
Monday Sani, who spoke on behalf of the traders and commercial motorcycle riders in Kasuwa Magani Market after listening to the Programme Officer of CAMAC, Mrs. Christian Saidu, expressed happiness that the FG is implementing a programme that is very impactful in their community.
“We are really happy for this free feeding exercise for our children in public schools which is being sponsored by the government. This is the first time we are having a programme that everyone can see its impact.
“You don’t struggle anymore to tell the children to go to school, because they know if they miss school, they will miss their meals.
“Their teachers have told us the parents that since this initiative started, they have recorded a good attendance in the school registers and the pupils concentrate better during their lessons, especially after taking their meals.” Sani said.
He appealed to the government to improve the services for better because according to him, for some month now, some of the schools have not been benefiting from the exercise.
Sani, also requested for more transparency and vigilance from both the school management, the cooks and government when it comes to food distribution among the pupils.
Addressing the various groups, the programme officer, explained to them that apart from improving the nutrition of the children and increasing enrollment, the NHGSFP is also creating jobs for farmers, traders and the cooks, thereby boosting both the local and national economy and also improving the performance of the students which helps them to complete their primary education.
She therefore, encouraged parents to continue making their children and wards available and also take the message to their various communities.
The FG commenced the implemention of the NHGSFP since 2016/2017, where it provides one free quality nutritious meal for primary 1 to 3 pupils in public schools, out-of school children and children in IDP camp.
The programme has attracted a lot of children to school and for those who drop out, they are attracted back to school because of the meals they are being served daily.
