By Benjamin Nii Nai Anyetei
The Government has reaffirmed its commitment to improving the quality and nutritional value of meals served to pupils under the Ghana School Feeding Programme (GSFP), with renewed emphasis on nutrition training and capacity building for caterers and cooks.
The Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Dr Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, gave the assurance during a tour of selected GSFP nutrition training centres in the Greater Accra Region.
The first stop of the tour was at the East Nima Presby Church in the Ayawaso area, followed by the Kayaye Centre, opposite the Social Welfare office, in Madina. The team also visited the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) Assembly Hall and the Asofan Presby Church in the Ga North Municipality.
Dr Lartey was accompanied by the National Coordinator of the Ghana School Feeding Programme, Hajia Fati Forgor, and the Mayor of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly, Michael Kpakpo Allotey.
The tour formed part of a nationwide nutrition training programme for GSFP caterers and cooks, being implemented with support from the World Bank and the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research.
The training is equipping caterers with practical skills in nutrition, food safety, hygiene and healthy meal preparation to improve the quality of meals served to pupils in public basic schools.
Addressing the caterers, Dr Lartey commended Hajia Fati Forgor and the GSFP management team for driving reforms within the programme, particularly the renewed focus on nutrition, training and improved service delivery.
She said the programme was moving beyond simply providing meals to ensuring that children receive nutritious and balanced diets that support their growth, health and learning.
“I am happy to see that we are not only preparing meals for our children but also ensuring they meet the required nutritional standards,” she said.
The Minister expressed appreciation to the World Bank and the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research for supporting the initiative and urged caterers to apply the knowledge acquired during the training not only in schools but also at home and in their communities.
Hajia Fati Forgor said the training was part of efforts to strengthen the capacity of caterers and improve the nutritional quality of meals provided under the School Feeding Programme.
She encouraged the caterers to take the training seriously and translate the knowledge gained into improved meal preparation, hygiene and food safety practices, stressing the importance of protecting the health and wellbeing of schoolchildren.
During the tour, the Minister interacted with facilitators and caterers, observed practical cooking demonstrations and, together with the Mayor and the GSFP National Coordinator, sampled nutritious meals prepared by the trainees.
The initiative is expected to strengthen the capacity of GSFP caterers and contribute to ensuring that meals served in public basic schools are safe, nutritious and supportive of pupils’ growth and learning.
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