The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), through its Regional Agency for Agriculture and Food (RAAF) and with support from the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation, has launched a pilot school feeding programme in the Upper West Region.

The project forms part of activities under the “Project de promotion de Mod?les d’Alimentation scolaire Integrée  en Afrique de l’Ouest” (PMAI-AO), which started in January 2023 and would end in 2027.

The pilot project, which would run for three years, would be implemented by the Millennium Child Support Group, a local non-governmental organisation, in collaboration with the Ghana School Feeding Programme (GSFP).

Eight schools from the very deprived communities in three districts of the Upper West Region are benefiting from the pilot project.

The beneficiary districts are Jirapa, Sissala West and Nandom, and the selected schools have never benefited from the existing school feeding programme.

Expected outcome

It is expected that the programme would improve the health of the beneficiary pupils, boost academic performance and enhance the overall community well-being.

The Spokesman for RAAF, Sozouhain Ayayivi, said the pilot project was a demonstration of the commitment of the ECOWAS Commission and the Spanish Cooperation towards nurturing the potential of our children and laying the foundation for a sustainable future.”

He said the project would ensure that every child in the beneficiary school was provided with a nutritious meal during school hours.

He explained that the schools had been selected based on a thorough analysis of enrolment figures, nutritional deficits and community readiness.

“This targeted approach will facilitate rigorous monitoring and evaluation, allowing stakeholders to refine the programme based on empirical data before considering wider implementation,” he said.

Objective

The Chief Executive Officer of the Millennium Child Support Group, Godfrey Ato Parker, said the objective of the project was to bridge the gap between policy and tangible impact, “ensuring that the benefits of this initiative directly reach the children and families in need.”

Under the project, RAAF would ensure that the meals provided are nutritious and balanced and sourced locally, thereby supporting small-scale farmers with a ready market for their produce.

“This integration fosters a self-sustaining food system that bolsters the regional economy and promotes environmental sustainability,” he said.