The Deputy Director of School Health, Nutrition, and HIV/AIDS in the Ministry of Education, Maureen Maguza Tembo, has urged communities surrounding beneficiary schools of the Home Grown School Feeding Programme to take full ownership of the initiative for its long-term sustainability.
Speaking on Tuesday at Nkhotakota LEA Primary School during the launch of the Icelandic government-funded program, Maguza Tembo emphasized its role in enhancing Human Capital Development by improving learners’ nutrition, concentration, and academic performance.
She acknowledged Iceland’s continued support to Malawi, particularly in Nkhotakota, where the government is funding the construction of classrooms, administration blocks, and sanitation facilities.
Additionally, Iceland is providing teaching and learning materials, desks, scholarships for secondary school girls, sports equipment, and motorcycles for Primary Education Advisors (PEAs). Plans are also in place to build a hostel accommodating 80 learners with special needs at Nkhotakota LEA.
Maguza Tembo further commended Iceland for promoting clean energy in school feeding programs, with biogas being used for cooking in Nkhotakota and solar energy in other areas.
“The use of clean energy will reduce the time women spend collecting and chopping firewood, allowing them to prepare food more efficiently,” she noted.
David Bjarnason, Head of Mission at the Embassy of Iceland in Malawi, highlighted the program’s role in improving food security for vulnerable communities. He noted that it also benefits local farmers by providing a steady market for their produce, thereby reducing poverty and driving economic growth.
World Food Programme Deputy Country Director for Malawi, Simon Denhere, reaffirmed their commitment to supporting school feeding programs, emphasizing that investing in learners’ nutrition is an investment in the next generation.
