By D.I. Laary
Aponoapono (E/R), Oct. 20, GNA – Niche Cocoa Industry, Ghana’s top privately owned cocoa processing firm, has fed pupils of Aponoapono M/A basic school with cocoa beverages to encourage local consumption of cocoa products.
The school feeding initiative, unveiled on Tuesday in the Eastern region town of Aponoapono in conjunction with Zotter and supported by Agro Eco and ABOCFA, will see the school’s 160 pupil population fed with cocoa drinks at least twice a week.
Mrs. Gladys Amoah, Managing Director, Niche Confectionery Ghana Limited, said the initiative was launched to increase cocoa intake by providing children with products made of pure Ghana cocoa enriched with vitamins and minerals.
She said the collaboration agreement was the outcome of a Memorandum of Understanding signed on April 19th between Niche and Ghana Education Service on working closely with schools and teachers to ensure children in cocoa-growing communities benefited from their parents’ products.
“Our focus has been on basic school children because we know that if a child gets a decent meal at an early age, they can concentrate and focus on school and get things going,” she said.
She said the school children would be fed twice a week, adding, “You can’t teach a hungry child, but we can help support drive nourishment and nutrition in schools and also promote school enrolment through feeding of children.”
The long-term goal of the programme is to potentially establish a sustainable cocoa ecosystem that motivates continued cultivation of the cocoa crop and sustain Ghana’s economy, which has been heavily reliant on cocoa over the years.
Mrs Martha Agyeiwaa Addo, Headmistress of Aponoapono M/A Primary School, expressed optimism that the cooperation would have a substantial influence on the lives and performance of the pupils since the initiative was expected to boost school enrolment.
“As of now, we have 160 [children] and you know that children like places where food is shared,” she explained. “This [cocoa drink] is very nutritious, and it will improve their academic lives as well as their health.”
Mrs Addo said that many of the children lacked the standard three-square meal a day, so the initiative would have a significant impact on enrolment and retention, hence the need to expand the programme.
“As our enrolment grows, we will require more so that the children will come to school, stay in school, and successfully complete the basic school,” she added.
She said that the school nurse at Aponoapono CHPS Compound would take frequent records of the children’s weight and height to track their ageing as they consumed the cocoa drinks.
“We’ll record it halfway and then at the end of the year.”
Niche produces high-quality semi-finished cocoa products and confectionery for the local and global consumers, chocolate, ice cream and baking industries.
GNA