HOME GROWN SCHOOL FEEDING PROGRAMME IN ANAMBRA STATE LACKS PROPER MONITORING AND EVALUATION.
Lack of proper monitoring and evaluation have been identified as some of the challenges facing the Home Grown School Feeding Programme in Anambra State. Anambra State is one of the States in the country where the Programme has commenced. It is for pupils in primaries one to three in the area.
Radio Nigeria Correspondent monitoring the programme in the state observed that the menu for Mondays was the local beans, Tuesdays; Jollof rice, Wednesdays; beans and yam, Thursdays; white rice and stew and Fridays; yam and sauce.
At one of the schools, Udodinma Primary School, Okpuno, there was so much excitement among the pupils, as they had never witnessed such a thing before.
One of them Miss Sophia Ochiogu was full of happiness as she was taking her meal during the break time when Radio Nigeria visited.
“I like the food, I am very happy .I thank the Federal and State Governments.“
The Headmistress of the school, Mrs. Ngozi Okeke, commended the Federal government’s initiative.
‘’Unfortunately for the school one of the Caterers has not resumed it’s only one that is doing the job but she is doing it properly. She is always here on time and shares the food to the pupils. The thing that gladdens my heart most, it came at the right time during this period of economic recession that most parents can’t afford three square meals in their families. Some children come to school hungry.’’
One of the teachers in the school, Mrs. Nkechi Osonwa said the programme would go a long way in helping the pupils, especially during this time of economic challenges in the country.
In an exclusive interview with the State Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Mr. Mark Okoye pointed out that another challenge facing the programme in the State was the inability of some caterers hired for the programme to provide their bank details, including their Bank Verification Numbers.
Mr. Okoye who annouced that some schools located in the remote areas of the State were yet to key into the programme, maintained that arrangements had been concluded to key them in within the next two weeks.
‘’It is to help us improve the enrollment of the pupils in our schools. It is also to improve the nutrition of these children and to also grow the Agro-economy in our State’’.
He said ,over one hundred and fifty thousand pupils from eight hundred schools across the State were currently benefiting from the programme.
As part of measures to enhance the monitoring of the programme in the State, Mr. Okoye stated that Governor Willie Obiano had approved the purchase of two vehicles, and currently twenty-one youths had been employed to monitor the programme across the twenty-one Local Government Areas of the State.
BY KEVIN EKEDIEGWU