John Kofi Donyina, the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Techiman South, has issued a warning that any caterers failing to meet the required standards of the Ghana School Feeding Programme (GSFP) will have their contracts terminated.
He emphasized that the GSFP is a key government initiative aimed at improving school attendance and retention, especially in underserved communities. Caterers who do not meet the programme’s standards, he stated, would be undermining its goals.
Mr. Donyina made this statement during a meeting in Techiman, Bono East Region, organized by the Women’s Integrated Development Organisation (WIDO). The meeting aimed to share findings from a recent research project on the GSFP conducted in selected schools within the Techiman Municipality.
The GSFP is intended to boost local food production, increase domestic consumption, and raise the incomes of rural communities, in line with the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) on poverty reduction.
The meeting, which included traditional leaders, head teachers, caterers, and Municipal Assembly staff, also served to gather feedback from parents, students, and the community to improve the quality of service provided through the programme.
WIDO, a local NGO focused on addressing social and economic inequalities faced by rural women, supported the event.
Mr. Donyina urged head teachers to work closely with caterers to ensure the smooth implementation of the GSFP, ensuring that pupils receive well-balanced meals that support their cognitive development and enhance learning. He stressed the importance of active monitoring and supervision by head teachers and programme coordinators to ensure that food quality and quantity meet the necessary standards.
Mr. David Bagonluri Paapa, CEO of WIDO, shared that teachers involved in the project reported significant improvements in pupil enrollment, retention, and overall learning outcomes as a result of the programme.
