By Fatou Saho
Rural communities, students and stakeholders have lauded the significant impact of the McGovern-Dole Food for Education and Nutrition Programme funded by the US Department of Agriculture to support school feeding programmes in TheGambia.
The US$28.5 million programme was launched in February 2024 to improve literacy and primary education through nutritious school meals. It targets 186 primary schools in The Gambia including the madrassas.
Community leaders, teachers and students in beneficiary communities such as Tubakuta,Tendaba, Alunghari, Bassending, have all expressed their excitement over the programme saying it does not only provide children with healthy meals but also improves enrollment and performance.
Fanta Fatty, a mothers club member, said the introduction of the programme has brought much joy to parents since it is reducing absenteeism among pupils. “Since this project came, all the children are willing to go to school,” Fatty explained.
Musa Kujabi, a parent from Tendaba stated: ”All that this programme brings is excitement. Since my children started eating at school, it has even reduced the rice we cook in my house. We are grateful for this and we are also pleading for its continuity.”
Fatou Saidy from Bassending, explained that since the inception of the school feeding programme, she no longer forces her children to go to school. “Now the children are excited about going to school. Before this programme came, we used to force them and sometimes they returned home during breaks and refused to go back.Other parents expressed similar remarks.
Teachers in these communities also informed the visiting team that the feeding program has increased the level of enrollment, academic performance and retention.
These remarks were made during visits to the intervention schools and communities by US Ambassador Sharon Cromer, the minister of Basic and Secondary Education and other partners involved in the project.
