Food For Knowledge – A program dedicated to the children of Mozambique

“A daily meal for all primary school students in order for each child to grow and prosper and have plenty of energy for life and learning” The Food for Knowledge Programme is a new step on the path towards the objectives of the National School Feeding Programme of the Government of Mozambique. The Programme, focused on school feeding, nutrition training and school performance, began in early 2013 in Maputo Province, and will involve more than 60.000 primary school students as well as their parents and teachers. Through the various training activities, the Programme will reach up to one million Mozambicans in the course of the three years of implementation (2013-2015).

ADPP EDUCATION Food For Knowledge

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Planet Aid received a $20 million award from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), to provide food aid, education and nutrition programs in Mozambique, which provides food and funding on behalf of the American people. Under USDA McGovern/Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition, Planet Aid, together with its in-country implementing Agency, ADPP Mozambique, will launch a three-year multi-faceted program to include health, nutrition and educational development initiatives to benefit more than 1 million students, teachers, parents and community members. The Government of Mozambique has provided additional funding to the Programme as part of the promotion and development of its National School Feeding Programme. The core component of the Food For Knowledge Programme is school meals. The objective is to feed more than 60.000 children daily over a period of three years. The meals consist of 100 grams of a mixture of fortified corn and soybeans (BSC).

The distribution of the first school meals in the selected primary schools begun in May 2013 in the districts of Manhiça, Magude, Matutine and Moamba, in Maputo Province. Food Contributing to Education and Health The corn and soybean blend is strengthened in accordance with nutritional requirements and will ensure the recommended daily allowance of micronutrients for each child. One of the expected results of the increased intake of micronutrients is the improved health of the children, thanks to the capacity of micronutrients in preventing harmful health conditions such as diarrhea and anemia, Increasing the intake of micronutrients will also improve the attention span and cognitive abilities of the children, resulting thus in better school performance.

Building Conditions for Food For Knowledge In order to ensure the preparation and distribution of the daily school meals, kitchens, firewood-saving stoves and small warehouses will need to be built in each of the benefitting schools. The success of this crucial aspect of the Programme depends

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on the active participation of the families and the entire community around the schools. To date, practically all selected schools have started building the new facilities. The Water Management component of the Programme is also currently underway. In addition to the rehabilitation and establishment of new water systems and latrines in each school, various training activities have taken place, including those concerning sanitation and sound hygiene practices. Two other components have also been contemplated: school gardens and a deworming action. As to the school gardens, altogether 50 schools will establish a small garden that will serve as a model garden for teaching students, their families and the community about good agricultural practices and as a ways to strengthen and complement the daily meals in the schools. The deworming action, on the other hand, will be coordinated together with the Provincial Departments of Health and aimed at all children covered by the Programme. The Food For Knowledge Programme will contribute to the activity through the donation of deworming tablets. FFK Training Activities

In addition to the actual school feeding, the Food For Knowledge Programme also includes various training activities. Altogether 40 young Food For Knowledge Professionals have been trained to support teachers, communities and children themselves in implementing the Programme. Up to one million Mozambicans across the country will also be trained on nutrition issues. This is to highlight the importance of sound eating habits and balanced nutrition in positive learning outcomes among teachers and the parents of the students. This activity will be carried out by ADPP, in partnership with the American Soybean Association. To reach this number of beneficiaries, Planet Aid and ADPP will, through WISHH, hold a course for 550 trainers of trainers on nutrition and school feeding issues and provide the necessary materials to spread the knowledge among teachers, students and communities. However, a key component of the Food For Knowledge Programme is the training of teachers themselves. In order to improve and ensure the sustainability of the school feeding in the long run and the success primary school education in general, ADPP is taking on the task of training a total of 4.000 primary school teachers in the course of the programme period.

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Strengthening Capacities in Reading and Writing In order to maximize the positive learning results of the Programme, the Food For Knowledge Professionals will work, together with teachers, to establish extracurricular learning clubs in each participating school. The purpose of these clubs is to provide an opportunity for children to receive additional teaching and assistance in the basic themes of primary schools, including reading and writing. In addition, the clubs will give older students an opportunity to support younger pupils.

ADPP Mozambique Education Programmes