January 2016 ZMF-C School Feeding Program

                                                                  ZMFC – January 2016                     

School Feeding Program for Nalabumba, Siabalumbi and Good Hope Schools

Inadequate rains have resulted in the start of hunger for this area in Zambia. Hunger means that a child will not learn well in school or that he/she may not come to school at all.

At this point, hunger is not widespread and it is not resulting in major cases of general malnutrition.

Certain families have capacity to cope better, for example, if the parents are government employed.

But, we do know of children who are coming to school hungry and who may only be eating one meal a day, and that would likely be without protein.

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday the students receive a drink/porridge called “tobwa”, a soya based product.

On Wednesdays at the school the children are eating nsima (being prepared above) and a protein – i.e .beans, kapenta (a small fish) or soya chunks.

All the children love Wednesdays.

School feeding programs have been shown to contribute to better learning for the child, better attendance and also support for the family – in that one meal at least is taken care of for that day!

The schools will continue to evaluate the program as it progresses through the term.

The rains continue to be poor and maize crops planted in December are quite variable, ranging from severely stunted to surprisingly surviving!

We, and the Zambians solicit your prayers for rain and for food and we pass on many thanks from the Zambians to those involved in financially supporting ZMF-C in order to implement this program.