ROME, Italy, February 29, 2016/APO (African Press Organization)/ —
WHAT: First African School Feeding Day
WHEN: Tuesday, 1st March 2016
WHERE: Niamey, Niger
1st March 2016, themed “Home Grown School Feeding: a Conduit for Africa’s Sustainable Development”, will mark the first edition of the Africa Day for School Feeding, to be observed jointly by the African Union Commission, AU Member States and development partners.
Niamey, the capital of Niger, will host the official celebrations with the participation of school children and top level officials of the government, AU Member States, the African Union Commission as well as development partners including WFP, UNICEF and FAO. Dr. Lassaad Lachaal, FAO Representative to Niger will take part.
Background
Africa Day for School Feeding was instituted by the Assembly of Heads of State and Government during the 26th AU Summit, in recognition of the immense value of home grown school feeding to enhancing retention and performance of children in school, and in boosting income generation and entrepreneurship in local communities.
Africa Day for School Feeding is the culmination of several initiatives and efforts aimed at assuring quality universal school enrollment in Africa, and placing school feeding at the centre of solutions to help African children from the poorest households, and who live in difficult areas, to have access to quality education in a safe and conducive environment.
School food and nutrition require a multidisciplinary and multi-sector approach. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is strategically positioned to address some of these areas. Working across disciplines, in the context of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly in school food and nutrition, FAO provides guidance and advice from a food systems perspective. This includes a range of areas and issues for example; policy and legal frameworks, the environment, biodiversity, input use, value addition, local foods and consumption patterns, nutrition education and the promotion of healthy diets. School children benefit from this through school meals and school food and nutrition programmes as an entry point.
