Since 2012, the School Feeding project “Food for Knowledge” (FFK), implemented by ADPP and Planet Aid with the support of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), has distributed 75,463,949 for 88,100 children from 271 schools in the districts of Manhiça, Magude, Moamba and Matutuine.
The improvement of school learning results is the central objective of this project, where children are provided a daily school meal, in addition to educational benefits.
Data from the project show that, since it’s beginning, there has been a significant increase in school enrollment and completion of primary education.
Only in 2019 did the numbers of attendance, punctuality and retention significantly improve in the schools benefiting from the project where 99% of all enrolled students attended classes regularly.
According to the project, the increase resulted in part from contributions from communities, school councils and school feeding committees to ensure firewood, water and volunteer cooks to prepare meals at schools, as well as project efforts to ensure distribution consistent CSB + across all schools.
The school gardens established by the project, in addition to serving to improve the diet of students in the schools where they are established, are an important learning tool about agricultural production in which children actively participate.
Alfredo Mussotxua, in charge of the Large machamba (gardens) of the Complete Primary School of Mangolene, one of the schools where the School Feeding Project is being implemented, speaks of the community’s involvement in the school vegetable component!
“We all participate in the school’s gardens activities, there are no men or women. We join ADPP teachers, students and technicians to work for the school and the community. ”- he explained.
It should be noted that the FFK project is in its second phase, which ends at the end of this year.