Government has urged schools in Chibombo District in Central province to be active in agricultural production ahead of the School Local Feeding Program in schools in 2018.
Chitambo District Education Board Secretary Henry Mwale says it is for this reason that his has advised all the 24 schools in the district to have one hectare of maize, beans, groundnuts and an acre of sweet potatoes in line with the directive.
“We cannot have the feeding program where there are no food stuffs hence the reason why we want our schools to find land and start cultivating now that the rains have started,” he said.
ZANIS reports that the Chibombo DEBS said “We want pupils that are healthy and are able to concentrate on learning without going through hunger situations resulting in absenteeism,” he said.
Mr. Mwale added that pupils will be incorporated in the farming activities in order for them to learn farming skills that my benefit them in future.
He stressed that learners should not only be taught how to read and write but as well as be taught skills that will make them self-reliant adding that not all learners may be academicians but some may be subsistence or commercial farmers.
“We realize that if we don’t teach our learners other skills like farming we may have citizens who fail to adapt and be self-reliant, not all our learners can be doctors, some will turn out to be farmers,” he said.
The feeding program will provide both educational and health benefits to children in the area thereby increasing enrollment rates, reducing absenteeism and improving food security at the household level.
