United Nation´s Joint Programme on Food and Nutrition Security for Schools in Cabo Verde, coordinated by FAO, promotes a consultative workshop to validate its National Strategy
Praia, 27 Novembre2015 - The workshop gathered the main stakeholders from Government and UN agencies in a retreat to discuss the National Strategy on Schools Meals and Nutrition, the final outcome of the UN Joint Programme, in partnership with the Cape-Verdean Foundation for Social Action in Schools (FICASE).
The Workshop brought together representatives from the Ministries and public agencies involved in the Strategy, as well as, principals of schools and other sectors, to discuss and validate the National Strategy on school meal programme to be implemented from 2016 to 2025.
In the opening remarks, the Director of the School Meals Programme, João Semedo, reinforced the importance of the stakeholders’ engagement in the validation of the National Strategy on School Meals and Nutrition and the activities promoted this Programme.
UN Joint Programme Coordinator, Ana Spencer, emphasized the importance of this Programme working close to the partners from the Health, Agriculture, Fishers and Social Protection sectors in Cabo Verde.
The FAO’s School, Food and Nutrition Expert, Andrea Polo Galante, highlighted the importance of incentivizing healthy menus in the schools and she reminded the consequences that the malnutrition may have for the children.
The WFP Consultant, Cristina Murphy, who has been working in the draft document of the National Strategy and Action Plan, facilitated this workshop.
Background
The School Meals Programme was operated with WFP financial and technical assistance until 2010, when this UN Program finished its mandate in Cabo Verde and the Government took over the management and funding of the Programme, following a transition phase. Since then, the Government is working to address some of the new challenges of this country in a development phase, in particular the prevention of non-communicable diseases which has become a government priority. Therefore, innovative ways to improve the nutritional composition of the meals by diversifying it with locally produced fresh food have been fostered, in order to improve the quality of the nutrition and the health education in the schools.
A law on School Meals programme in Cabo Verde was approved in April 2015. The objective of the School Meal Programme in Cabo Verde is to encourage school attendance, improve food security, provide a safety net to poor families, with greater emphasis on nutrition, improving the food ration while promoting local agriculture and enhancing nutrition education. The Strategy Plan will support the law implementation for the next 10 years.
United Nations’ Joint Programme (UNJP/CVI/042/UNJ) “Support to Food and Nutrition Security in Schools” was established in 2011. It is financed by the Luxembourg Development Cooperation and executed by four UN agencies in Cabo Verde (FAO, WFP, WHO and UNICEF), from February 2011 to December 2015.
The Joint Programme has four specific objectives, which correspond to its intervention components:
· Ensure access of kindergarten and primary school pupils to a balanced and diversified school meal (Strengthening of the institutional capacity to manage the NSMP)
· Diversify the school menu with local products while generating economic opportunities for producers (School canteen supply)
· Improve the knowledge and skills of pupils, teachers and school canteen managers in kindergarten and primary schools about nutrition and food hygiene (Food and nutrition education)
· Improve the management and the quality of services provided by canteens in kindergarten and primary schools (School canteen management)
The Joint Programme boosts positive experiences and initiatives, using national strategies and participatory approaches to enhance a multi-sectorial and integrated work within the Government and the UN. In this context, issues regarding modernisation, sustainability and economic viability of the National School Meal Programme are the main focus of the actions.
Contact
Antonio Palazuelos Prieto
Communication Specialist FAO Cabo Verde