At the Ruhita Government Primary School in Barguna, students are given afternoon lunch. The school boasts one hundred per cent admission, passing rate with 98 per cent attendance and zero per cent dropout rates.
Under the World Food Programme, WFP, 62 schools in Bamna upazila, along with two Abtedia madrasas and four NGO run schools are given free lunch.
As a result, the academic performance of the schools is also enviable. If the 68 schools, average attendance is 97 per cent. Due to the lunch distribution programme, 2500 vegetable growing women plus 134 women working as cooks can make a supplementary income.
Supplier of cooking wood provides livelihood for 35 persons. Under the WFP’s mid-day meal pilot, the schools have been getting lunch since 2013.
The Lama upazila in Bandarban has also been added to the project and students there are getting the mid-day meal.
The main cook for Ruhuta Govt. School, Rani Begum says that she gets Tk 6,130 while her two helpers get Tk 5,150 each.
“In the past, I had difficulty running the family but now, it has become easy with the extra income from cooking.”
People also call us for cooking for social occasions, she enthused.
Head teacher of the school, Ibrahim Khalil observes: “Before this programme, students did not have much enthusiasm about education which has changed now since almost every child is admitted to the school.”
Reportedly, meals are served twice, once for pre-primary at 12 noon and the other for primary at 1:30 pm.
Kedgeree with different types of vegetables is given on four days; once a week egg is given with the kedgeree and, on Thursdays, high protein biscuits are given.
Primary education officer of Bamna upazila, Mofazzal Hossain, Mondal, lauded the operation saying: “this is an unprecedented programme because it ensures 97 per cent attendance.”
Such initiatives should be taken all over the country, he commented and added: “Once this happens, academic performance will also soar.”
UNO, Sheuly Hori, observes: “This is a benevolent programme and has played a role in improving quality of education.”
Deputy Director of CAMPE, a non-government development agency, K M Enamul Huq observes: “currently, school feeding is in operation in 15,080 schools of 104 upazilas. Of this, in 93 upazilas, the programme is funded by the government, where high protein biscuits are provided to children.”
However, in Bamna, people have also identified the possibility of mismanagement and aberration in the programme, saying that the food items should be managed transparently to avoid looting of oil, lentils, rice and other items.
However, Enamul Huq, says: “To implement the programme, the local people need to be engaged and not just the local influential.
