2023-04-26 16:12:37
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In the Council of Ministers of this Wednesday, April 26, 2023, the government decided to put in place a legal, institutional and regulatory framework for the sustainability of the National Integrated School Feeding Program. This program, according to the board’s report, aims to “strengthen school feeding in Benin by developing a multisectoral approach. It improves school performance, food diversity and the nutrition of pupils in schools with canteens and also favors local purchases”. The adoption of this bill therefore appears as one of the orientations of national education, which structures the framework of governance and management of the program. According to the council, the said bill “defines, among other things, the roles and responsibilities of the actors, the food security system, the method of financing, the conditions of accountability and the standards of the infrastructures to be created”. Thus, all schools in the public or private sector, community, secular or denominational will be included. The council also gave the statistics of the progress since the establishment of the program. “The budget devoted to school canteens has increased from 1.5 billion in 2016 to 48.7 billion in 2022. The number of children taken care of has increased from 380,622 in 2017 to 1,135,350 in 2022, i.e. a coverage rate of 75 % in 2022 compared to 30% in 2016”, can we read from the minutes of the council.
It should be noted that the foodstuffs that are served to learners come primarily, at least 75% from local production and are certified by the competent services. “Also, the food basket is developed taking into account staple foods, nutritional needs and local habits. It respects nutritional balance and diversity; the size of the portions served being adapted to the type of meal and the age group, ”adds the advice.
AGOSSA seat
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