By Austin Ajayi, Yola.
An hungry man they say is an hangar man, there is no doubt that food is one the most important thing man needs in life may be next to water and shetter, however, food has been decribed as the only way to a man’s heart.
This saying can also be attributed to as a way to better learning, perphers this underscore the importance of feeding in schools that the Adamàwa state governor, Ahamdu Umuru Finitiri placed in the development of children, the youths and to an extend the adults.
Feeding in school cannot not be over emphasized as it has gone far beyond a school meal but increase children enrolment into public schools in Adamàwa state and has also improve overall micronutrient status and reduce the prevalence of diseases among children.
With many public boarding Schools in the state, successive administrations did not give the school feeding programe, the desired attention.
Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri administration since comming on board of the State, both Primary and Secondary Schools that was in shamble and pettiable situation took a new lease of life following the governor’s reslove to change the narrative public boarding Schools in the state.
Governor, Umaru Fintiri has made school Feeding Programe a top priority of his administration.
Fintiri set the ball rolling by reintroducing the feeding Programe in 9 pilot schools and thereafter extended it to all the 68 boarding schools across in the state.
Increasing the feeding to three square meal a day and introducing tea and bread for breakfast and sometimes eat lunch and dinner with beef for the first time in many years.
According to Governor Fintiri, “reviving the feeding programe would help students to stay sharp, increase school enrollment and reduce vulnerability as well as boost family incomes, particularly in times of crisis”.
Experts opion on the school Feeding programs says this feeling of students in humanitarian contexts “can limit the negative consequences on health, nutrition and education thus lowering the barriers to accessing and completing education, especially for girls”.
” This can also allow parents send their children to school, thereby reducing out of school children and creating an avenue for them (students) to aspire to become professionals later in life”
Some parents says ” the burden of sending food to their children in the boarding school has been lifted of them, commeding the effort of the state government with the hope that this will continue in the state”
According to an educationist, Halimant Maldama PhD.said ” this school Feeding programs will help greatly in breaching the gap between the educated in Adamàwa state and their counterparts from education advantage states in the country”.
They also agreed that the program can address the challenges synergistically and enhance cost-efficiency while local food sources in school meals will promotes the consumption of diversified diets while enhancing local economic development
Students interviewed generally across some of the boarding schools in the state expressed delight over the return of school feeding and urged the government to sustain it.
