Through tripartite partnership…
A TOTAL of 51,000 children will, from next week, be beneficiaries of a massive school feeding programme, through a tripartite partnership involving Banks DIH, Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL) and the Education Ministry.

The three parties signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), in the Ministry, Brickdam, Georgetown boardroom yesterday, to have biscuits and fruit juices provided to schools in coastal and riverine areas.

Signing the MOU, from left, Mr. Jerry La Gra, Mr. George Mc Donald the Marketing Director of Banks DIH, Mr. Terrence Bynoe the Company Secretary of Banks DIH, Permanent Secretary Pulandar Kandhi and DDL’s Assistant General Manager Mr. Tarachandra Khelawan.

The biscuits are being donated by Banks DIH and the juices by DDL. Assistant General Manager of the latter, Mr. Tarachandra Khelawan said they will supply their ‘Topco’ brand to the Ministry at a reduced cost.

Education Minister Shaik Baksh said approximately $1.4 billion will be expended this year, $800M of which is dedicated to the latest effort.

The provisions will target 322 nursery schools and Grades One and Two of 327 primary schools in Regions One (Barima/Waini), Two (Pomeroon/Supenaam), Three (West Demerara/Essequibo Islands), Four (Demerara/Mahaica), Five (Mahaica/Berbice), Six (East Berbice/Corentyne) and 10 (Upper Demerara/Berbice).

Regions Seven (Cuyuni/Mazaruni), Eight (Potaro/Siparuni) and Nine (Upper Takutu/Upper Essequibo) are deriving benefit from other ongoing programmes.

Baksh said the schools on the coastland targets all nursery schools and Grades One and Two in primary schools but, in the hinterland, the scheme is broader and benefits more children.

He said, in hinterland areas also get hot meals under the Fast Track Initiative, a big literacy programme.

Minister Shaik Baksh, at the head of the table, meeting with stakeholders of the school feeding program

Regions One, Seven Eight and Nine are covered under this programme and over 15,000 primary schoolchildren from 83 schools benefit, Baksh said.

The other programme he highlighted offers ‘school snack’ in Region Nine and is managed by the Society for Sustainable Operational Strategies (SSOS), which was established in 2006.

Since then, the organisation has been instrumental in training persons to engage in cottage industries, which produce the peanut butter, cassava bread and fruit juices served to schoolchildren.

Emphasis
That venture catered for approximately 1,400 children in 14 schools during 2009 and Baksh said the Ministry continues to place emphasis on school feeding, after recognising its benefits.

“Providing a nutritious snack helps improve the health of children, assists with their concentration and the learning process in the school system,” he posited.

Baksh also said attendance, as has already been seen in the hinterland, will be improved, too,

He said a good assessment of the school feeding impact is soon to be completed but, reflecting on the advantages evidenced, so far, he announced that each programme will be expanded this year.

Baksh said the hot meals, costing a total of $500M, will be extended to 29 more schools and he lauded what he described as full community participation.

He said the ‘School Snack’ project will seek to include an additional 26 schools for 3,500 schoolchildren.

“The cost of this one will be approximately $30M,” Baksh said, adding: “We are hoping that this (the investment) can lead to sustainable developments in the hinterland communities. The Ministries of Agriculture and Amerindian Affairs are involved in promoting activities to see sustainability and development of communities.”

In an invited comment, Executive Officer of SSOS, Mr. Jerry La Gra said: “The money that comes from the Ministry of Education stays in the community and helps in many ways.”

He said the work facilitated by SSOS is technically and economically sustainable and, in time, will also be socially.

La Gra said the purpose of SSOS is to facilitate the identification, fabrication, validation and transfer of appropriate technologies to progressive families and groups in the hinterland.