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.
