Ethiopia incorporated school feeding into nat’l dev’t program: Minister of Education

Addis Ababa, March 1, 2023 (FBC) – The African Union marked the 8th Africa Day of School Feeding w/ the theme “Boosting Local Food Procurement Systems & Regional Value Chains: The Role of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) for Sustained Home-grown School Feeding Programmes & Improved Learning.”

While discussing Ethiopia’s experience, Prof Berhanu Nega, Minister of Education, stated that the Ethiopian Government prioritized school feeding and incorporated it into the national development program.

According to Prof. Mohamed Yassin, Commissioner of African Union for Science, Technology & Innovation, the program provides job opportunities, establishes equality, and paves the way for future generations.

He urged AU member states to set aside appropriate funds for the program, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia.

Ethiopia’s home-grown school feeding program, according to Adanech Abiebie, Mayor of Addis Ababa, feeds 701,000 pupils in all primary schools in the Capital which also created employment opportunities to more than 16,000 mothers, leading to greater school involvement by increasing enrolment and decreasing absenteeism.

Ambassadors of various countries to Ethiopia also discussed their countries’ school feeding experiences.

The African Day of School Feeding is an annual event that aims to raise awareness and political support for home-grown school feeding in the continent.