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Blessings Chidakwa Herald Correspondent

Government has secured over $17 million for improved meals being served in schools under the Home Grown School Feeding Programme (HGSFP), Primary and Secondary Education Deputy Minister Edgar Moyo said yesterday.

Deputy Minister Moyo said in the next school term, all Early Child Development Aup to Grade Seven pupils will now be accessing a balanced meal at school.

Initially, schools were feeding only ECD classes.

Deputy Minister Moyo said the schools feeding system had over 4,5 million beneficiaries who constituted at least a third of Zimbabwe’s population, while the latest census showed that the scheme has reached 9 566 schools.

“Children are the most affected during drought times, therefore, it is Government’s responsibility to look after their welfare, especially in terms of nutritional welfare,” he said.

“The ministry has been receiving funds for proteins since in the past, issues of lack of balanced diet were raised and in March we got half-a-million, May another $2 million and $6 million in June and in a few weeks’ time $8,8 million will also be released for the food programme.

“Government is not only concerned about feeding learners, but it wants that which benefits their bodies.

“However, Government is also worried with reports that some schools are failing to collect their consignment of food, short-changing the beneficiaries.”