Govt struggle to kick-start school feeding project

The much talked about Government sponored National school feeding scheme scheduled to kick start this second term did not materialise.

On paper the project is primarily aimed at reducing school drop-outs due to hunger. Priority is for drought hit areas.

Schools opened on Tuesday and pupils where not fed.

Each pupils is to get one free meal a day.

According to reports, Matabeleland North Provincial director Boithatelo Mnguni said she had no clue when it would begin.

"The feeding programme has not yet started and l am not sure when it will commence seeing this is the opening week of schools," said Mnguni.

Government long announced it had sourced about 40 000 tonnes of grain.

Just last week during Zimta annual conference in Victoria Falls, Primary and Secondary Education minister, Lazarus Dokora reaffirmed that the project will start this week. "We want to able to withhold all school kids in the school system and this is why we proposed to government to introduce school feeding programme and we will phase it in to all children out there.

"Government is raising funds for that to happen but beginning of next week, we will see in those districts that are hard hit by the drought beginning to benefit from the public service allocation of grain, beans and so on going to those schools but you will hear people requiring for even salt on top of that.

"The school feeding will continue beyond the mitigation measure of the country's current drought and it will become a permanent feature of the school system." said Dokora.