Implementation and Monitoring of School Feeding Programmes in Mberengwa District of Zimbabwe

Abstract

The adoption of United Nations sustainable goal number four represents a global concern for quality and inclusive education. The goal aims at ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all (UN, 2015). To meet the targets of sustainable development goal number four, schools must be inclusive, healthy, physically safe, emotionally, and psychologically enabling. A school must control and minimise threats to child friendly environments. Threats include food and water insecurity, undernutrition, gender discrimination, and chronic poverty. It is against this background that developing countries have initiated school feeding programmes. The government of Zimbabwe, supported by UNICEF and the WFP developed the school nutrition guidelines to improve nutrition in schools. Apart from implementing the school nutrition programme as a tool to fight hunger and starvation, the programme aimed at boosting school attendance and educational outcomes. The paper aims at assessing the implementation and monitoring of Zimbabwe’s school feeding programme in Mberengwa District of Zimbabwe. It uses the qualitative methodology, interpretivist paradigm, and a case study design. Data is generated through interviews and focus group discussions. Parents, school heads, teachers-in-charge, and schools inspectors were purposively selected from seven primary schools, and Mberengwa district education office. The paper focuses on implementation and monitoring strategies and the role of different stakeholders in the school feeding programme. It further explores the challenges encountered in the implementation and monitoring of the school feeding programme. The paper makes recommendations on the establishment of robust policy mechanisms and increased government commitment to enhancing implementation and monitoring of the school feeding programme in the district. The challenges on the implementation and monitoring of the school feeding programme have wide implications on the development of learners as they come from diverse backgrounds. The provision of food and nutrition, security, safety, and a child friendly environment goes beyond the call of duty. It is a human rights issue.