By- Aruna Rashed Toma Bangura

The Catholic Relief Services together with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has recently launched Phase5 of the McGovern-Dole School feeding program on past Thursday 26th January, 2023 in Koinadugu and Falaba districts respectively.

Giving his welcome speech, the Country Representative of the Catholic Relief Services, Jeanne Ella Andrianambinina said the Catholic Relief Services has been implementing the McGovern-Dole Food for Education and Child Nutrition program in Koinadugu and Falaba districts together with the Ministry of Basic and Secondary School Education and CARITAS Makeni to improve literacy and reduce hunger in schools.

During Phase 4 of the project, Jeanne Ella Andrianambinina  said the Catholic Relief Services together with their line partners and communities provided daily school meals to over 64,000 school children in Koinadugu and Falaba districts, adding that they have constructed and rehabilitated over 310 school facilities including school blocks, latrines, boreholes, and storerooms and provided teaching and learning materials to schools in all 310 McGovern-Dole program supported schools in Koinadugu and Falaba districts.

She noted that the program trained teachers, school administrators and established Community structures to improve quality education in the districts which is part of a comprehensive intervention that seeks to increase knowledge and sustainability.

She continued that the McGovern-Dole program supported schools were among the schools that top the National Primary School Certificate Examination (NPSE) in 2022 as a result of the school feeding, adding that they have witnessed a drastic enrollment in school attendance and improved academic performance.

She added that they have improved literacy rate surpassing their target by 60% and increased attendance rate from 69% to 74%.

Jeanne Andrianambinina said the new phase of the program focuses on promoting quality education, community ownership and sustainability. She  said the main objective is to increase the rate of children reaching reading threshold and consolidating the gains they have already achieved.

She stated further that USDA has constructed

The Agricultural Attaché for United States Department for Agriculture, Mr. Robert Turner said the McGovern-Dole School feeding program has benefitted over 98,000,000 ( over Ninety-Eight thousand school children) school going children as direct and targeted beneficiaries in 310 (Three- hundred and ten) Primary schools with eight Special Need schools for Blind and Deaf school children.

He disclosed that since 2008 to present they have invested $80,000,000 (Eighty- million dollars) in improving the nutrition for school children, adding that 98,400 school children have benefitted from McGovern-Dole school feeding program.

He commended the government for their support and collaboration.

Giving his keynote address, the Minister of Basic and Secondary School Education, Dr. David Moinina Sengeh said he is officially launching Phase5 of the McGovern-Dole and USDA school feeding project on behalf of His Excellency Dr.Julius Maada Bio whom he said has great passion and special care for children.

He said since 2008 the Catholic Relief  Services developed their proposals and since 2008 and have been working with staff of the MBSSE by ensure sharing of data evidence, adding that part of the program is advocating for learning outcomes and collaborating together in reaching the less privilege children in unreachable areas.

Dr. David Moinina Sengeh said Sierra Leone is the only country where USDA has implemented Phase5 of the McGovern-Dole school feeding program which he said is not by chance but because of the good work done by the MBSSE and the government that is why the USDA continues to implement the school feeding project.

According to the Basic and Secondary school education Minister, they are making sure that school is the safest place for children and, he said that children should be given positive discipline in schools because as he said “children are leaders therefore they should not beat leaders.” He said the MBSSE has developed a positive discipline and not a corporal punishment towards school children.

“We still have more works to do as Koinadugu and Falaba are doing well in education,” he said, adding that enrollment in both districts is high. He encouraged parents and guardians to send their children to as he school fee is free and the children are well feed in schools.

“We as government continue working with our partners CRS and USDA to other chiefdom schools to begin benefitting from school feeding project. It is inclusive development, inclusive growth and sustainable development,” he stated.