87,634 students benefitting from school feeding programme

Over 87,000 children are benefitting from the government’s national school feeding programme, which provides juice and biscuits, breakfast, and hot meals.

With some $2.1 billion set aside for 2023, the undertaking supports the Ministry of Education’s agenda to further improve the attendance and enrollment of students at schools. 

During a press conference on Wednesday, President, Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali underlined that, “A total of 87,634 students are benefitting from school feeding. 42,735 from juice and biscuits, 29,691 from hot meals, and 15,208 from breakfast.”

Research has shown that children who receive a nutritious diet perform and learn better in school.

The breakfast programme ensures that nursery-level pupils and those from Grades One, Two and Six are provided with a nutritious morning meal daily.

The programme is in addition to the Hot Meal Programme which serves food to primary and primary top students in Regions One, Two, Three, Five, Seven, Eight, Nine, and Ten.

Additionally, this venture has created employment opportunities for those qualified to deliver appropriate meals at these schools. It also aligns with the government’s goal to reduce the financial burden on parents and guardians.    The government continues to advance its development trajectory, ensuring every child has equal access to quality education.