Local School Feeding Programme to be Extended Countrywide

Dr. Carol Babb

The Food and Agriculture Organization, better known as F.A.O., has been assisting Belize in the fight against malnutrition and hunger. Back in November of 2017, a project to improve food and nutrition security and encourage healthy eating habits for communities in southern Belize was officially launched in which gardens were constructed as part of a school feeding programme. At this morning’s press conference, Chief Education Officer Doctor Carol Babb announced that the programme will be extended to two schools in each district at the start of the 2018 school year.

Dr. Carol Babb, Chief Education Officer

“We have four module schools in the Toledo district and with AMEXCID and the FAO, they are offering healthy meals and are developing gardens. What is the benefit of all of this? Why do we need to join or to start this parliamentary approach to end malnutrition and hunger? It is important that we join this parliamentary group because it will ensure that our children in schools are eating healthily. When children eat healthily, they participate better in the classroom, they are more active, the attention span is longer. We also find out that they have less illnesses; the absences reduces. The teachers use the school garden for Math, for English, for science; at all levels. So I think the module that we have in Toledo is an extremely good one and for this September, we are going to expand that module to two more schools in each of our six districts. And on Thursday the media is invited to a workshop where those schools will be prepared to implement healthy meals and also to develop a school garden. But why is it important for Belize to join this parliamentary front? It is important because as a country, if we ensure that our young people are eating healthily, they will have less need to visit the hospital—the wage bill on health system will be lessened. Children will be participating more and making their contribution. This module also encourages small farmers, family farming; encourages the government to purchase products from small farmers, so there is an income generating aspect for people who live in rural areas who are also very poor. So that is also helping in economic development.”