German Govt. Approves huge financial support to S/L School Feeding

By Alusine Fullah

The German government has approved/ announced a 22 Euros grant to support school feeding in Sierra Leone. The 4th ECAM Summit was organized as a sidelineevent to coincide with the Coordination Hub of the UN Food Systems Stocktaking Moment in Rome. This key calendar appointment discussed the challenges and opportunities in the fields of healthcare and food safety in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East; particularly relevant, in light of the exceptionally disrupted international context we are living in. Her Excellency the Prime Minister of Uganda, Distinguished Heads and Representatives of State, Secretary General of Gulf Corporation Council, the President ECAM Council Mr. Kamel Ghribi, and Honorable Members of the Council, and Esteemed Participants.

The Summit covered leading topics in the form of institutional keynote speeches and panel discussions including:

The role of multilateralism to guarantee long-lasting peace and cooperation
The role of the “Global South” in the international scenario
New models of multilateral cooperation to make the international community more resilient to future systemic shocks
Global health and population and the interaction of demographic changes with socio-economic growth
Climate change, GVCs’ disruptions, and poor investment as causes of an increasing food insecurity at a global level
PPP schemes to ensure more investment in agricultural R&D as a solution to fight climate fallouts and enhance the productivity in critical regions
Catalyzing public support to scale-up private investment and reduce the systemic risks for private players in agri-business and healthcare

The event also presented the most significant initiatives promoted and developed by ECAM in selected countries such as Iraq and Tunisia that included training programmes and scholarships for young talent in the field of healthcare and agriculture.

In his speech, the Chief Minister of Sierra Leone, David Monina Sengeh noted the significance of food security for a stable society. He said: “Food security, the cornerstone of a stable society, is a primary concern for us. Agriculture forms the lifeblood of our economy, and our people, particularly those in rural areas who depend on it for their livelihood. However, to secure a future where no citizen goes to bed hungry, mere subsistence farming will not suffice. We need to propel our agricultural sector into a new era, an era of technology, innovation, and sustainability. This involves adopting modern farming techniques such as precision agriculture, investing in rural infrastructure, ensuring access to markets, and equipping our farmers with the necessary skills and financial support to thrive in the changing landscape. Cognizant of this, H.E President Bio’s government has pledged to prioritize agriculture, making it the flagship program of his tenure.

Back home, huge efforts have been made to improve school feeding programme in pre and primary schools. Some months ago, the former minister of Education, Dr. David Moinina Sengeh in support with the Government of Sierra Leone launched National School Feeding Policy. During the launching, Minister Sengeh said: “The principal aim of the national school feeding policy is articulated toward “a decentralized and sustainable programme, based on the global home-grown model, that promotes human capital development through increasing access to education and learning opportunities and enhanced health and nutrition, and linked to local agricultural productivity and community growth.” Moreover, this policy aims to promote the holistic development of children, local farmers, and communities by ensuring that school feeding is recognized and treated as a sustainable, multisectoral investment program that receives support from a multitude of actors, including the Government at central and decentralized levels (districts), communities, private sector, civil society, and external donors”