FOUR schools in communities surrounding Matusadona National Park are set to benefit from a €200 000 feeding scheme to last until March next.
Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (Zimparks) spokesperson Tinashe Farawo revealed the programme during a media tour of the national park.
In 2019, ZimParks invited African Parks to assume management of Matusadona National Park on a 20-year agreement signed with the vision to revitalise the park for wildlife and communities.
The partners have been seized with massive wildlife conservation efforts that have seen Matusadona becoming a “haven for wildlife, a source of hope for people and a popular tourism destination”.
According to Farawo, the schools that will benefit from the feeding scheme include Nselelo Primary Schoo under chief Negande, Dove Primary School (Chief Mola), Chikuro Primary School (Chief Nebiri) and Majazo Primary School (Chief Musambakaruma).
He said the target number of children was approximately 1 300.
“The scheme is expected to improve school attendance and reduce drop outs. Remember this is a very difficult year.
“The harvest from this region was close to nothing owing to the less rainfall received,” Farawo said.
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“The school feeding programme will have a major impact on children’s physical health, development and learning outcomes as, for many children, food at school will be the first meal of the day.
“Adequate nutrition is essential for optimal cognitive function and learning. In drought-affected areas, where families may struggle to provide sufficient meals, feeding schemes in schools can ensure that students receive regular and nutritious meals.”
The intervention operationalizes the Zimbabwe Schools Health Policy (ZSHP) of 2018 which seeks to improve pupil health, nutritional status and learning outcomes.
Primary and Secondary Education ministry spokesperson Taungana Ndoro recently revealed that the schools nutritional programmes were critical in retaining pupils in schools.
Ndoro said the schemes would also address nutritional needs of learners and has implications on their overall wellbeing and educational outcomes.
According to the Unicef, Zimbabwe is facing a complex crisis, driven by climate related El Niño induced drought, economic instability, and public health emergencies, including cholera and polio outbreaks.
“The El Niño induced drought has left 7.6 million people including 3.5 million children in urgent need of humanitarian assistance, protection support, and livelihood support, to recover from losses and rebuild resilience,” the UN agency said.
