Bringing nutrition to the fore
6 June 2019
This past Saturday, the WCED held a National School Nutrition Programme (NSNP) Mini Conference at the CTLI.
Lindelwa Dlulemnyango-Sopotela, Director for the NSNP said that the Conference intended to “promote awareness of the programme and set up a platform where schools can share best practice to improve the implementation of the NSNP.”
“The main message emanating from the Conference is that good nutrition is the bedrock of human well-being. The NSNP aims at enhancing the educational experience of learners by providing them with nourishment and inadvertently promoting punctual attendance, alleviating short term hunger, improving concentration and contributing to general health and development,” she said.
Attendees were treated to presentations from Elizabethfontuin PS who won 1st prize in the “Best school awards” for the NSNP and Olympia School of Skills who came first in the School Garden Competition held in 2018.
Various other speakers were invited from around the country.
Mr Ndlazi, from the Department of Public Works, spoke on EPWP and the importance of reporting as it determined the amount of money that is allocated per province. He also explained why the number of gardeners had reduced under the programme from 600 in 2018/19 to 370 in 2019/20. While the Department was interested in the employment of youth, there was little interest in this field of work (gardening) from the youth, hence the reduction in gardeners in the programme.
Over 483 000 learners are fed a breakfast and a lunch meal at 1011 schools in the Province every day. It is an important aspect of every day school life for many of our learners, some of which, rely on the NSNP as their only meals of the day.
Well done to the NSNP, for highlighting the importance of the NSNP and how to improve nutrition in our schools.
