Events of the past few months involving fatalities of young children after consuming packaged food purchased from informal trading establishments, popularly known as Spaza shops, highlight a much bigger problem in society, says The Tiger Brand Foundation Gauteng Regional Coordinator, Kefiloe Mokoena.
“While we recognise that a large part of our population still battles with food insecurity on an ongoing basis, the issue that should be centre stage is the quality of food, from the production process, the preparation and the manner in which it is served,” says Mokoena.
Mokoena says while he is very encouraged by the increasing number of private and public sector initiatives focused on providing food to learners in schools in the past few years, the campaign to provide nutrition to learners should not focus on quantity alone but also on quality as well.
According to the Minister of Basic Education, 9.7 million learners depend on the National School Nutrition Programme (NSNP) to help stave off hunger and starvation. The programme aims to provide at least two daily meals to disadvantaged primary and high school learners.
Mokoena insists that the compelling rationale to provide good, quality nutrition to learners is to ensure that “we have a lasting impact on their learning, development and ultimately influence their long-term socio-economic condition.”
“The genesis of the TBF in-school nutrition programme has always been rooted in ensuring that we fundamentally change socio-economic conditions of disadvantaged communities,” says Mokoena.
Several studies conducted throughout the years by TBF and its partners including the Center for Social Development in Africa (CSDA), have demonstrated vividly the link that exists between good nutrition and improved health and academic performance by learners,” adds Mokoena.
He says while we welcome the drive by both the public and private sector to get involved in providing food, in particular breakfast to learners, we urge those who are responsible for designing and implementing these programmes to ensure that there is a particular emphasis on the quality of food being served. “Otherwise, we are just ticking a box so we can sleep better at night but having no medium or long-term impact on the life of the disadvantaged learner,” cautions Mokoena.