GIZ distributes food items to learners in Nkhata Bay

By Luzily Chiponde – Mana.

Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) through Nkhata Bay District Education Office has distributed maize flour and rice meant for School Feeding Programme to learners from 20 Primary Schools amidst Covid-19 break.

Nkhata Bay District Director of Education, Nameson Ngwira said the move aims to ensure that learners remain in good health while at home waiting for re-opening of schools.

“The sudden closure of schools on March 23, 2020 due to Covid-19 pandemic disturbed school feeding programme and GIZ has instructed that the preserved rice and maize be released to leaners,” he said.

Msani Primary School is among the schools that benefits from the program and all the 549 learners at the school have received 9kgs of Maize per head and rice.

A guardian of a standard 8 learners at Msani Primary School, Doniana Mhoni commended GIZ for the move.

“The school feeding programme relieved us from the task of searching for breakfast for our children. This burden was back because of the Covid-19 and we thank GIZ for addressing it,” she said.

Mhoni said besides motivating her eight learners to go to school, the programme improves their general health.

On top of providing food stuffs, GIZ established Home Grown School Meals approach initiative where it supports communities in farming activities to supplement the school feeding program and is being implemented in 20 primary schools out of the total 195 in the district.

Ngwira has since called on other partners to support the school feeding programme in the district. 

Mana/lmc/zm/tha