Accra, June 10, GNA – Caterers under the National School Feeding Programme in the Greater Accra Region, have protested the non-payment of their feeding grant.
They said they would also not receive payment for only 12 out of 68 working days for the third term of 2021 academic year as allegedly suggested by the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection.
The caterers, in red hand bands, at a press conference asked the Government to pay all arrears owed them for the 68 working days so they could continue cooking for school children and pay debts from procurement of food stuffs.
They also called for the upward adjustment of the grant from one cedi per child to three cedis per child.
Madam Helena Appiah, Secretary of the Greater Accra Branch of the Association, said:
“We will not accept this payment arrangement, which is the 12 days. We won’t be able to provide meals for the school children until the demand for full payment covering for the 68 working days are met.”
Madam Juliana Codjoe, President of the Greater Accra Region School Feeding Caterers Association, also said: “We are not accepting the 12 days because we have worked for 68 days, and they are telling us that we are going to be paid for 12 days. No! So, from today, we are not going to cook until they make the full payment.”
The caterers are on strike since mid-May to press home their demands.
The action is reportedly affecting the attendance of pupils in school.
The Ghana School Feeding Programme is an initiative of the Comprehensive Africa Agricultural Development Program (CAADP) Pillar three, which seeks to enhance food security and reduce hunger in line with the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) on hunger, poverty and malnutrition.
Its objectives include increase school enrolment, attendance and retention.
It is also to reduce short-term hunger and malnutrition amongst kindergarten and primary school children, and boost domestic food production.
Currently, the Programme, according to the Gender Ministry, is feeding about 1.69 million children representing 37.4 per cent of national coverage.
GNA