Home Grown Feeding Program Improves Nutrition in Malawi
The Home Grown Feeding Programme (HGFP), which provides fresh, locally-grown food to malnourished schoolchildren in Malawi, has seen tremendous success in Nsanje, writes Cornelius Lupenga.
Nsanje, Malawi - The Home Grown Feeding Programme (HGFP), which provides fresh, locally-grown food to malnourished schoolchildren in Malawi, has seen tremendous success in Nsanje, writes Cornelius Lupenga.
The Home Grown Feeding Programme (HGFP) was introduced in Malawi in 2019 and has since been implemented in 36 schools in the Nsanje district, according to District School Health, Nutrition, HIV/AIDS, Gender, and Disaster Coordinator Harrison Chimombo.
The programme provides children with a daily meal of fresh fruits, vegetables, and legumes, which has led to a significant improvement in their nutrition.
"We started with 12 schools, and now we have 36," said Chimombo.
"The programme has been very successful, and we are seeing a big improvement in the health of the children."
The HGFP is funded by the European Union (EU) and is part of a larger effort to improve nutrition in Malawi.
The programme has been praised by local officials and parents, who say it has helped reduce absenteeism and improve academic performance.
"We have experienced a drop in absenteeism rates since the introduction of the programme," said John Mpotalinga, headteacher of Thangadzi 1 Primary School.
"The children are now healthier and more focused on their studies."
The HGFP is a promising new initiative that has the potential to improve the health and well-being of thousands of children in Malawi.
The programme is a model for other countries that are struggling to address the issue of malnutrition.