Story by George Yawson VINEH
The Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Dr. Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, has toured selected caterers’ training centres in the Greater Accra Region to monitor the ongoing nationwide practical nutrition training for cooks under the Ghana School Feeding Programme.
The visit forms part of efforts to ensure that caterers and head cooks are equipped with the knowledge and practical skills needed to prepare safe, nutritious and balanced meals for school children. The nationwide exercise is aimed at improving food quality, promoting healthy eating habits and strengthening food safety standards across beneficiary schools.
During the tour, the Minister interacted with trainees and facilitators, observing practical demonstrations on food preparation, portion control, hygiene, kitchen management and the use of locally produced ingredients, including soya beans, to improve the nutritional value of meals served to pupils.
Speaking to the media after the tour, Dr. Lartey stressed that the School Feeding Programme remains one of the government’s flagship social protection interventions and reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to ensuring that every child receives safe, healthy and nutritious meals in school.
She encouraged the caterers to apply the knowledge acquired during the training to improve service delivery and contribute to better learning outcomes for children.
She further assured caterers under the Ghana School Feeding Programme that her Ministry is working with the Office of the President to review and increase the feeding grant per child.
Dr. Lartey acknowledged concerns raised by caterers over the current feeding fee, noting that the rising cost of food items has placed significant pressure on their operations. She said the Ministry appreciates the challenges caterers face in providing nutritious meals while managing increasing food prices.
The Minister explained that discussions are underway with the Office of the President and other key stakeholders to secure an upward adjustment of the feeding fee. According to her, the review is intended to ensure that caterers can continue to provide quality, balanced and nutritious meals to school children without compromising standards.
Dr. Lartey urged the caterers to remain committed to the objectives of the School Feeding Programme while the government works to address their concerns. She reiterated the government’s commitment to improving the welfare of caterers and strengthening the programme as a critical social protection intervention that supports children’s nutrition, school enrolment and attendance.
The Ghana School Feeding Programme Secretariat says the practical training, which is being implemented nationwide, is expected to strengthen caterers’ capacity in nutrition, food hygiene and kitchen management while promoting the use of locally sourced foodstuffs to support Ghanaian farmers and enhance the overall quality of meals served in schools.
