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- Shine On Malawi Feeding Program Helps Over 1,000 Learners in Mzimba District
Shine On Malawi Feeding Program Helps Over 1,000 Learners in Mzimba District
The program, which started in 2018, is helping over 1,000 learners in T/A Chindi in Mzimba district-Alinafe Sambo.
Malawi-Shine On Malawi, a non-governmental organization, is implementing a school feeding program in Malawi's northern region district of Mzimba, writes Alinafe Sambo.
The program, which started in 2018, is helping over 1,000 learners in T/A Chindi in Mzimba district.
The initiative is complementing the government of Malawi's school feeding program.
According to Stalin Mwandira, the Executive Director of Shine Malawi, the organization is providing nutritious food to learners to ensure that no learner drops out of school because of hunger at home.
"Our idea was to make sure that as many children as possible are able to access education without having to worry about food," said Mwandira.
Simon Tembo, a standard 8 student from Chalunga Primary School in Mzimba, attests to the remarkable progress pupils at the school are registering because of the program.
"The program has helped us a lot because we are able to concentrate in class without getting hungry," said Tembo.
Hannet Msukwa, a nutrition teacher at Chalunga Primary School, said learners from the school were not performing well in class, and most of them were not coming to school due to a lack of food at home.
"But the introduction of the feeding program has improved their performance," disclosed Msukwa.
Kettie Magawa, the head teacher for Chalunga Primary School, commended Shine on Malawi for bringing the project to their school, saying even the teachers are geared to teach because they know that their children will perform well during their final exams.
"We can now teach gladly because we know that our students will perform well," said Magawa.
Roma Shaba, a parent from Kwanowa village, said they are excited at the prospects of having children who perform well in class after they have been well-fed at the school.
"As parents, we are happy because we can now concentrate on other things at home, knowing that our children will have food at school and that they will no longer be malnourished," said Shaba.
The students receive a cup full of Likuni phala (porridge) every school day in a project that is being supported by Shine on Malawi.
The feeding program provides nutritious food to the learners and, in the process, improves their health.
"It is every child’s right to be given good food and nutrition, which can help them excel in education," said Mwandira.