More Than A Meal. The evidence demonstrates that school meals do more than provide food. Almost all school meals programs are linked with other health, nutrition and education interventions that further contribute to human development.
Children are not the only ones who benefit. School meals programmes can serve as springboards for food system transformation, while simultaneously improving the quality of education. Local catering businesses, many led by women, are also provided with business opportunities. This is evident here in Guyana as we have seen in just under four (4) months the job opportunities created for almost 241 persons across the coastland. The Breakfast Programme will continue to enhance the robust efforts to mobilize, in a sustainable, efficient and equitable manner, national and local resources for school meals and for these efforts to be matched and complemented by development partners including listening to our beneficiaries, the students, teachers, parents, etc. We look forward to continue serving this nation's budding leaders in 2023.
National School Feeding Breakfast Programme benefiting thousands of students and individuals in Guyana
In September of this year, the National School Feeding Breakfast Programme was reintroduced in 241 schools across Guyana, providing a healthy and nutritious breakfast for over 12,000 grade 6 students daily. The programme is not just benefiting the students; it is also serving as the primary source of income for more than 1,300 Guyanese individuals, including caterers, fruit farmers, and factory workers. Thanks to the Carnegie School of Home Economics, the programme has been able to expand its menu options from five to fifteen in the coming year, allowing students to choose from a wider variety of breakfast options. The Carnegie School of Home Economics has played a crucial role in developing a menu that is both nutritious and appealing to students. The programme has improved attendance rates and has also had a positive effect on the nutritional status of participating students. By providing a balanced and varied breakfast each day, the programme has been able to help students meet their nutritional needs and improve their overall health and well-being. Furthermore, studies have shown that students who eat a healthy breakfast tend to perform better on tests and have higher grades overall. By providing a nutritious breakfast each day, the National School Feeding Breakfast Programme is helping to set students up for success in the classroom.
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