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- Malawi's Chipunga Center Implements Successful School Feeding Program, Reduces Dropout Rates
Malawi's Chipunga Center Implements Successful School Feeding Program, Reduces Dropout Rates
CCYRD's school-feeding program reduces dropout rates, boosts pass rate at Chipunga Primary School in Nkhata-Bay, Malawi, writes Susan Moyo.
Malawi-A school-feeding program, implemented by the Chipunga Centre for Youth and Rural Development (CCYRD) since 2021, is helping to reduce school dropout rates and increase the pass rate at Chipunga Primary School under Traditional Authority Nyaluwanga in Nkhata-Bay district, writes Susan Moyo.
This is according to data from Mary Meals, a global movement implementing school feeding programs across the world.
The program is aligned with the organization's mission to meet three Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030, which include poverty reduction, no hunger, and quality education.
Fiskan Musafiri, the project coordinator for CCYRD, explained that the school feeding program aims to reduce poverty and improve livelihoods by investing in education from an early age up to the tertiary level.
He noted that some children walk long distances to school on an empty stomach, leading to poor performance and high dropout rates, which prompted the introduction of the feeding program at Chipunga Primary School.
"We have been implementing the school feeding program at Chipunga Primary School to increase school attendance and reduce dropout rates. We are excited that the program is achieving its objectives, as the school is among the top-performing schools in last year's primary school leaving certificate of education in Nkhata-Bay," Musafiri said.
Gedion Zanga-zanga, Headteacher at Chipunga Primary School, praised the positive impact of the school feeding program on enrollment and attendance rates, as well as the students' performance.
"Since the introduction of the program, the school has registered a high enrollment rate, from 200 in 2018 to 402 this year, and the school has also achieved a 100 percent pass rate in last year's PSLCE exams," Zanga-zanga said.
Pius Mkandawire, a standard 8 learner at Chipunga Primary School, highlighted how the school feeding program has improved its education by addressing hunger-related challenges.
"In the past, we were not performing well because we were not fully attending classes. We could knock off before time because of hunger, which led to poor performance," Mkandawire revealed.
Esther Mkandawire, another learner, expressed gratitude for the school feeding program, stating, "We come to school knowing that we will have a healthy plate of porridge, which gives us a hardworking spirit and helps us to pass with good grades."
Dorcas Chidambo, one of the executive members of Chipunga School Management Committee, praised the feeding program for its tremendous improvement in the community.
"We have witnessed the tremendous improvement the program has brought. As a committee, our duty is to ensure that the children are served with porridge every morning, and we hope that our community will be transformed because education is the key to the success of this area," Chidambo added.
The school feeding program at Chipunga Primary School receives financial support from the Grace Charity Organization in Germany.