Stampriet school feeding programme bears fruit

The Stampriet school feeding project now produces approximately 5 000 chicken eggs monthly and a variety of nutritious vegetables while fully funding the salaries of two gardeners from the sale of fresh produce and poultry products.

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), in collaboration with the education ministry and the government of Brazil, recently visited Stampriet Combined School in the Hardap Region to assess the progress made since the launch of the Home-Grown School Feeding Programme (HGSFP) and School-Based Integrated Food Systems Project in 2021.

The Stampriet project, supported by the governments of Namibia and Brazil, has yielded remarkable outcomes since its establishment, according to a statement by WFP. “Each week, learners spend time in the vegetable gardens and hen houses, thereby broadening their understanding of agriculture, business and economics through first-hand learning."

Scale it up

During the visit, deputy education minister Faustina Caley expressed her support for the initiative and commended the progress made so far.

“I want to see this successful project scaled up to more schools across the country so they too can reap the same benefits,” she said.

Caley also highlighted that this model of school feeding not only supports education, but also generates income for schools and adds value to communities through capacity development and food accessibility.

WFP said local supermarkets and hotels purchase fresh produce and eggs from the project and, in addition to learners enjoying healthy school meals, surplus produce is donated to the community soup kitchen.

Brazilian ambassador to Namibia Vivian Loss Sanmartin said the results are impressive and are proof that much can be done with the right technical support. She further commended Brazil’s continued support towards achieving food and nutrition security in Namibia.

“Our collective efforts have enabled WFP to transform the lives and futures of these school-going children,” Ericah Shafudah, WFP deputy country director, said.

“Beyond receiving a diverse and nutritious meal every day, these children learn about food systems, some parents are employed at the project, others have received horticultural training, and families arrive daily to purchase fresh and healthy vegetables for their households.”

The HGSFP in Namibia has significantly impacted the lives of local learners. Currently active in seven regions, it provides healthy meals to 11 000 children across 2 schools, enhancing their education, health and overall nutrition outcomes.