Sixth grader Adrian Kay, 12, gets ready for school. After he finishes eating breakfast at home, his mother hands him a packet of home-cooked food and five cedis. Curious, I asked her, “Why give your child food and pocket money for lunch when the government provides a free hot meal through the school feeding program?” »

Before his mother could respond, Adrian replied, “I haven’t eaten school food since second grade.” When I pressed for a reason, he explained, “The food is tasteless and not very nutritious.” Many of my classmates who ate it often got sick. In my class of 51 students, only eight eat regularly.

Shocked by this revelation, I decided to investigate further by visiting Adrian’s school. The director, Lucia Boateng (pseudonym), who spoke to me anonymously, confirmed Adrian’s account.

“In today’s Ghana, how can anyone be expected to cook a full meal for just GH₵1.20? she asked. “How is this possible?” Without investigation, we already see that the problem starts with the budgeted amount. How much does a ball of kenkey cost these days? How much does an egg cost?

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Madame Lucia then revealed her concerns. “I have been in countless PTA meetings urging parents not to let their children eat school meals because I, as a principal, cannot guarantee the quality of the food. We teachers are supposed to taste the food before it is served, but I can’t do that. I can count the number of times I have risked tasting it. We are deeply concerned about the quality served.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), a growing child aged 4 to 8 years needs 19 grams of protein per day. This equates to at least two or three eggs per day, with each egg containing around 6 to 7 grams of protein. How many eggs or other protein sources are included in these meals?

To understand the meal preparation process and its nutritional value, I shadowed Miriam Onyinah (pseudonym), a caterer for the Kpone Katamanso Municipality school feeding program. She agreed to share details as long as her identity and school remained anonymous.

At 6:15 a.m. on a Monday, December 9, we headed to the Ashaiman Municipal Market. His task was to feed 300 of the more than 600 students at his school. With GH₵360 allocated for the day, we started our shopping.

A single medium sized egg costs GH₵2.50. Ideally, to meet WHO’s protein requirements, she should have purchased 600 eggs for the 300 children, a total of at least GH₵1,500, well beyond her budget. Instead, she managed to buy just 40 eggs for GH₵100.

With GH₵260 left, she bought three bowls of rice at GH₵70 each, bringing the total to GH₵210. The remaining GH₵40 was spent on vegetable oil, some tomatoes and some onions. Her budget was exhausted and she had not bought gas, water, fish or vegetables. To make the Jollof rice somewhat flavorful, she used red oil and shrimp powder.

Back in her kitchen, I watched with eagle eyes as she prepared the meal, heavily seasoning the rice and mashing the eggs to distribute the protein. Around 12 p.m., the children were lining up outside their classroom, waiting for their hot meal: a ball of rice per child, without fish or stew. We counted 248 students who received a share; the last child received almost nothing.

I asked Halima Mohammed, 10, about the meal she had just eaten. “It wasn’t good, it wasn’t sweet, there was no fish and the portion was too small. I could have eaten three times that amount, but there was no more food. I didn’t eat before I got to school because my mother is sick and has no money.

Other children brought food from home. Ivan Gray, a fifth grader, told me, “I eat food that my mom makes. I don’t eat school food because it’s not good. The first time I ate it, I got sick, so my father told me never to eat it again.

This grim picture is the norm in elementary schools across the country. Launched in 2005, the school feeding program aims to provide a daily hot meal to students in basic public schools, ensuring that they stay in school and focus on their studies rather than going hungry.

In its 2024 budget, the government claimed that the program had benefited over 3.8 million children in 10,000 schools, with GH₵5.4 billion allocated for social protection initiatives, including school feeding . Yet many students still do not receive adequate meals.

During the 2024 election campaign, both major political parties expressed some concern on this issue. The NDC promised to increase food subsidies, ensure timely payments and implement reforms such as decentralization of management and use of geographic data to expand the program to disadvantaged areas.

In contrast, the NPP’s 2024 manifesto highlighted an increase in the number of beneficiaries from 1.6 million in 2016 to over 4 million in 2024, but offered no concrete plans for improvement.

Dr. Clement Apaak, a member of the NDC education committee, assured me in an interview that the party is committed to improving conditions in basic schools across the country.

However, for students like Adrian Kay and Halima Mohammed, these promises mean nothing unless the food allowance is increased and meals meet appropriate nutritional standards.

According to parents, caterers and nutritionists, the current allocation of GH₵1.20 per child is woefully insufficient to prepare a nutritious meal.

Currently, the Ghana School Feeding Secretariat spends about GH₵4 million per day to feed 1.7 million students in 4,881 schools. Yet the meals served lack both quality and quantity, raising serious concerns about whether taxpayers will get value for their money.

Disgruntled restaurateurs, fearing negative reactions from the government, are demanding an increase in food allowance. As children reject poor quality food, restaurateurs are forced to cut corners even further.

A nutritionist, Akua Asuamah Tawiah, said JoyNews that a nutrition-friendly school initiative by the government is being rolled out to assess whether children are receiving the required nutrition. However, she noted that since the program’s launch, private schools appear to be more successful in serving nutritious meals to students.

“The Nutrition-Friendly Schools initiative allows health sector experts, including nutritionists, to educate restaurateurs about the value of nutrients children need. We taste the food and examine the ingredients. If, after tasting, we notice that ingredients are missing, we will not award the school the nutrition-friendly school certificate.” she told me.

She said the initiative showed a stark contrast: Private schools provide more nutritious meals than public schools, largely because private school parents pay higher tuition fees.

She urged the government to increase the budgetary allocation for the school feeding program to ensure that children receive the essential nutrition they need to grow and thrive.

Although officials of Ghana’s school feeding program remain silent on the inadequacy of the current budget, it is clear that meager funds are undermining the effectiveness of the program. This lack of resources deprives children of the nutrients essential for healthy growth and academic success. Without immediate action, the nation risks compromising the potential of its future leaders.

So I ask: is it not time for a complete overhaul of Ghana’s school feeding programme? With GH₵4 million of taxpayers’ money spent daily, government, especially the new NDC administration, must ensure that children receive meals that nourish both their bodies and minds while keeping them healthy. ‘school. Anything less jeopardizes not only their health, but also the future of the nation.

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