OTJIWARONGO – About 260 Early Childhood Development (ECD) centres in Otjozondjupa region will, from Monday, benefit from the government’s school feeding programme (SFP).

This was announced at a meeting of government departmental heads hosted by Ministry of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sports, Arts and Culture at Otjiwarongo on Tuesday.

Head of the ECD rollout delegation, Theofilus Nuugulu, told the meeting the region will start receiving fortified instant porridge meal for children at ECD centres.

Nuugulu said for the past 15 years, the government’s school feeding programme only supported primary school children.

“This will now change as of next Monday as the school feeding programme will also include ECD learners, targeting pre-school children aged zero to eight years,” he said.

Nuugulu explained that the government, the World Food Programme (WFP) and the European Union (EU) found that young children at pre-primary level also need nutritious daily meals for proper development.

“Enticement is the other reason . . . to keep these minor children in pre-schools, as well as teaching them healthy diet habits,” said Nuugulu.

Otjozondjupa education officer for hostels and ECD, Nangy Hoeses, told Nampa the distribution of the instant porridge in the region started on 25 August.

“As of next week Monday, the ECD centres in Otjozondjupa will start to feed children with the prepared instant porridge at their school premises,” she said.

The region has a total of 257 ECD centres and 7 089 children attending pre-schools, she added.

Deputy education director in Otjozondjupa, Chris Tjivikua, attended the meeting and supported the initiative together with the circuit education inspectors of Otjiwarongo and Okahandja.

The Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare was also represented, along with officials from the Ministry of Health and Social Services.

– Nampa