The Western Cape Education Department (WCED) is working with partners to encourage schools to establish food gardens.

The project forms part of the National Food Nutrition Programme in the province. The gardens are supplementing the school feeding scheme while also providing an educational resource.

The number of food gardens at Western Cape schools has grown from 120 in 2004 to 278 by 2008. The WCED's school feeding team plans to assist another 20 schools to establish food gardens during 2009.

Meanwhile, the WCED is expanding its school nutrition programme in poor communities of the province.

By January 2009, the WCED was feeding 332 287 learners - an increase of 129.6% since 2004/05, when the department fed 145 596 children.

The WCED is expanding the scheme further during the course of 2009/10 to feed more than 338 000 learners.

The WCED has increased the number of schools providing meals from 659 in 2004/05 to 997 in 2008, representing 68.7% of all schools in the Western Cape.

The objectives of the nutrition programme include making sure that learners in poor communities have the basic nutrition they need to learn. In addition to supplying food, the national scheme looks at food production, for example, in school food gardens, and education on nutrition.

Education authorities classify schools in five categories called quintiles, with the poorest schools in Quintile 1 and the least poor in Quintile 5.

In 2004/05, the feeding scheme targeted 90% of primary school learners at schools in Quintile 1; 40% in Quintile 2 and 25% in Quintiles 3 and 4.

The WCED has expanded the scheme progressively, to feed all learners by 2008/09 at schools in Quintiles 1 to 3, as well as secondary school learners in Quintile 1.

The scheme is now also feeding targeted learners at primary schools in Quintiles 4 and 5 and secondary schools in Quintiles 2 and 3. The scheme covers the poorest special schools.

In 2009/10, the scheme will cover primary schools in Quintiles 1 to 3, secondary schools in Quintiles 1 and 2, targeted learners in primary schools in Quintiles 4 and 5 and targeted secondary schools in Quintile 3.

The investment in the school feeding scheme has grown progressively from R36.6-million in 2004/05 to R71.1-million in 2008/09 and a planned budget of R112.5-million in 2009/10.

The quality of the meals has also improved over the past five years. In 2004/05, the scheme offered an uncooked meal consisting of two slices of brown bread with peanut butter ands jam and an energy drink.

The menu now offers four options on different days of the week, including cooked meals, designed to improve the general nutritional status of the children concerned. The four menus are:

• Tuesday: two slices of brown bread and soya mince relish with dehydrated vegetables.
• Monday and Wednesday: Rice and soy mince relish with dehydrated vegetables.
• Thursday: Samp and beans.
• Friday: Two slices of brown bread with peanut butter and jam, and a nutritious drink.

The introduction of cooked meals has meant that schools must have cooking facilities. The WCED has ensured that all targeted schools have kitchen equipment, typically comprising three gas burner stoves, 19 kg gas cylinders, plates, spoons, cups, serving spoons, colanders and plastic storage bins.

Donors and the WCED have provided 132 mobile kitchens to date at schools that do not have adequate facilities for food preparation. The WCED plans to provide a further 30 mobile kitchens during 2009/10, to bring the total to 163.

The WCED provided training for volunteers and school coordinators at all targeted schools on administering the programme, as well as food and gas hygiene and safety. The training will continue at 500 schools in 2009/10.

The department organised 20 workshops for teachers, learners and parents on nutrition in 2008/09 and plans to organise 22 similar workshops in 2009/10.

The school feeding team has distributed posters to schools to promote awareness of the importance of good nutrition.

An army of 2 019 volunteers prepared the meals by December 2008. This number is expected to grow to 2 400 during 2009/10. The volunteers receive a small honorarium.

Five service providers, a non-governmental organisation, a community-based organisation and three small businesses provide supplies and related services.

The feeding scheme team is constantly looking at ways of improving the service. Recent examples include a three-month pilot project to provide fruit twice a week at selected schools.

The team is working with various partners to develop food gardens at schools. The number of food gardens has grown from 120 in 2004 to 278 by 2008. The team plans to work with another 20 schools to start food gardens in 2009.