African Network for School Feeding Programmes – The Issues, Developments, Challenges and Strategies NEPAD/WFP REGIONAL CONSULTATIVE MEETING ON HGSF ACCRA, GHANA EMMANUEL OHENE AFOAKWA SECRETARY AFRICAN NETWORK FOR SCHOOL FEEDING PROGRAMMES (ANSFEP)

The Main Issues Lack of education Malnutrition Poor health These are interrelated and are all cause and consequences of poverty. The vicious cycle: Malnourished children become adults with limited opportunities and capacities and in turn, end up having malnourished children of their own. Such a cycle undermines human and economic development.

Lack of Education Children around the world are not in school 77 million children of primary school age are not in school 49 percent of them in Sub-Saharan Africa 57 percent of them are girls Source: UNESCO Monitoring Report (2006)

Malnutrition 300 million chronically hungry children in the world (0 to 15 years). Micronutrient deficiencies massively affect vulnerable children. 112 million of hungry children are aged between 5 and 15 and live outside India, China and Brazil.

Lack of good health HIV/AIDS Malaria Parasite infections Anaemia and other micronutrient deficiencies

The consequences Are different according to age 0 – 5 years: Impaired brain development/poor health/poor nutrition/death 5 – 15 years: lack of benefit from education/poor health/early pregnancy/poor nutrition/high risk of contracting HIV/AIDS

Millennium Development Goals

Background to HGSFP The UN Millennium Project Task Force on Hunger Proposed expansion of local school meal programmes in July 2003 “Quick impact initiatives” to achieve the MDGs Link school feeding with agricultural development - purchase of locally/domestically produced food, - school gardens and - the incorporation of agriculture into school curricula.

NEPAD and WFP Initiatives - Captured as Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) - Signed a Memorandum of Understanding to enhance cooperation on Home-grown school feeding in 2005. Ten (10) pilot countries - Senegal - Malawi - Mali - Mozambique - Ghana - Nigeria - Ethiopia - Zambia - Kenya - Uganda

African Feeding Programmes - Facts & Figures WEST AFRICA: Country Total Children fed daily Governance / Implementer (s) Nigeria 3,628,736 Government Benin 120,786 WFP Burkina Faso 61,366 Cote d’Ivoire 580,686 Ghana 528,235 Guinea 191,859 Guinea Bissau 92,711 Mali 150,180 Sierra Leone 248,188

Total Children fed daily West Africa Country Total Children fed daily Governance / Implementer(s) Niger 78,488 WFP Senegal 347,774 Cape Verde 96,660 Liberia 686,014 The Gambia 123,999 Sao Tome & Principe 29,461 Cameroon 82,672 Mauritania 143,560 Total 10,371,073 Governments and WFP

East Africa Country Total Children fed Governance / Implementer(s) Kenya 1,753,092 WFP Ethiopia 706,539 Sudan 803,800 Uganda 675,138 Burundi 362,505 Tanzania 202,075 Eritrea 32,022 Somalia 45,390 Rwanda 255,667 Total   4,836,228 

Central Africa Country Total Children fed Governance / Implementer(s) Central African Republic 80,359 WFP Chad 113,306 Djibouti 10,155 Congo DRC 314,600 Congo Republic 21,373 Total    539,793 

North & Southern Africa Country Total Children fed daily Governance / Implementer(s) Egypt 316,325 WFP Algeria 34,000 South Africa 6,041,056 Government Zimbabwe 1,110,674 Malawi 914,690 Lesotho 146,390 Mozambique 388,043 Angola 269,553 Swaziland 105,278 Zambia 290,519 Madagascar 58,900 Total    9,616,528  & WFP

African School Feeding Beneficiaries - 2006 Region Total Children assisted Northern Africa 350,325 West Africa 10,371,073 Central Africa 539,793 East Africa 4,836,228 Southern Africa 9,266,203 TOTAL ( in 42 counties) 25,363,622

WFP phased out 7 African countries (July 2006) Morocco Equatorial Guinea Gabon Togo Botswana Mauritius Namibia

AU Target African Union and NEPAD: - 20% of countries in Africa should have HGSF programmes by 2008 Using Country models from Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa, etc.

Food Procurement / Commodities Used in 2006 (MT) Wheat 302,862 Wheat flour 188,707 Blended food 228,093 Maize 616,323 Maize meal 54,872 Pulses (Legumes) 172,280 Rice 250,499 Sorghum 49,652 Sugar 40,771 Vegetable oil 78,194 Other 33,136 Total World 2,015,389 Total Africa 779,634 % from Africa 39

Food Recipes/Menu Local food recipes are used for feeding pupils by all the implementing Countries except those with special problems such as famine, drought, conflicts, etc. where food is internationally sourced and served. The meals are prepared locally by community members from maize, rice, yams, beans, plantain, cassava (major staple foods) and complemented with animal protein. Most WFP implemented countries use fortified recipes prepared from maize, rice and legumes (soybean, cowpea, groundnuts, etc depending on country and availability).

Partners World Bank UNICEF FAO USAID International Community (Governments) Local African Governments Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation NGOs Industries

The Big Question: How Do We Ensure Sustainability of the Programmes?

African Network for School Feeding Programmes (ANSFEP) ANSFEP FORMATION: Formed in July, 2006 during GCNF 2006 in Los Angeles, CA, with support from Global Child Nutrition Foundation, USAID and USDA. MISSION: Expanding opportunities to all African School going children to receive adequate nutrition (at least one hot meal a day) for improved nutritional status (well-being) and enhanced learning readiness. VISION: Promoting the right of the African child to food and freedom from hunger.

ANSFEP Priorities Our activities are focused on: key intervention to achieve Education for all African children and to promote improved nutritional status and good health for all school-aged children in Africa

Current ANSFEP Membership Ghana Nigeria South Africa Uganda Zambia Kenya Tanzania Malawi Ethiopia Mali

Strategies for Sustainability Advocate/Promote Government commitment Promote Community Participation Promote Use of Home Grown Food Provide Technical support to Develop National Capacities Train/Support good program leadership and communication mechanisms with stakeholders Promote private sector involvement

ANSFEP Activities Development of National Capacities: Complex process due to its dimension and diversity: Programme Management Financial and Human resources Operational: M&E, Nutrition, Procurement models, logistics, food quality control Community Participation Legislation framework Role of private sector Inter-sectorial coordination

ANSFEP Activities Programme Management Advocacy Policies/Legislation Implementation Abuse Waste Fraud Management of various challenges Advocacy Advocate governments and international organizations to Assist African countries institute school feeding programmes and ensure sustainability at national level. Policies/Legislation Support on national framework establishment Institutional mechanisms Infrastructure to administer programs

Issues and Challenges Getting all other African countries to take off by securing political will of governments Supporting Programmes in member countries Stimulating and winning the confidence of development partners and other stakeholders for policy support Infrastructure to cater for population explosion resulting from increase in enrolment Providing barns for storage of surplus food production

Issues and Challenges Generating sound and reliable data on food production and usage Resources, manpower and skills for Programme Management at all levels Building capacity of Governments to take full ownership and responsibility Funding for each country-wide, capital-intensive programme.

GCNF 2005 DELEGATES, BALTIMORE, MD USA

GCNF 2006 DELEGATES, LOS ANGELES, CA, USA

GCNF 2007 DELEGATES, CHICAGO, IL, USA

ANSFEP Executives Secretary President

Some ANSFEP Members

Some ANSFEP Members

Some ANSFEP Members

ANSFEP Executives PRESIDENT: Dr. Kwame Amoako Tuffuor (Ghana) VICE-PRESIDENT: Dr. Lami Amodu (Nigeria) SECRETARY: Emmanuel Ohene Afoakwa (Ghana)

ANSFEP Contacts PRESIDENT: Dr. Kwame Amoako Tuffuor E-mail: dratuffuor@yahoo.com SECRETARY: Emmanuel Ohene Afoakwa E-mail: e_afoakwa@yahoo.com All other information could be found at: http://schoolfeeding.tripod.com

CONCLUSION There is no doubt that education and learning depend on good nutrition and health. Poor nutrition and health among children have contributed to the general inefficiency of education systems world-wide. Malnutrition often leads to disease, devastating the lives of both children and adults. Research and Programme experience have shown that improved nutrition and health lead to: - better performance - fewer repeated classes - reduced drop-out rates

CONCLUSION HGSFP is part of the answer to Africa’s challenges in meeting the MDGs. Such challenges include: - poverty - hunger - malnutrition - low-enrolment - high gender disparity - school attendance, retention and completion - high rates of child mortality - poor infrastructural development.

“Of all the ties that bind, friendship is the strongest” Feeding the bodies and minds of children worldwide Reaching out our realm of comfort to lend a hand of hope Investing in the future of children everywhere Enabling networks of support to accomplish our goals Nutritious meals to the world’s children Developing viable, lasting partnerships Sustaining together, the capacities to end world hunger “Of all the ties that bind, friendship is the strongest”

THANK YOU