Kojo Yankah, founder of the Pan African Heritage Museum and African University College of Communications (AUCC), has raised urgent concerns over the sustainability of Ghana’s School Feeding Programme (GSFP) under the Free Senior High School initiative.
Yankah argues that the programme, which began in 2005 under the Comprehensive Africa Agricultural Development Program (CAADP), is facing challenges in its implementation. He emphasizes that no government budget alone can sustain the increasing number of children benefiting from the programme, posing a threat to its continuity.
In a statement on his Facebook page, Yankah pointed out several critical issues with the GSFP. He highlighted how the programme has led to children migrating to schools offering feeding, potentially disrupting their education in original schools. Yankah also expressed concern that the programme may inadvertently discourage self-sufficiency among youth, contrasting with the tradition of school farms that encouraged agricultural skills.
Moreover, Yankah criticized the partisan nature of the programme, noting its dependency on political administrations.
“The programme is too party-oriented depending on who is in Government,” Yankah stated, advocating instead for a focus on agricultural self-reliance in Ghana’s economy. He emphasized that an agriculture-based economy should drive initiatives like the GSFP, aligning with goals to enhance food security, reduce hunger, and boost domestic food production.
Yankah concluded with a call for a shift towards sustainable practices that promote self-reliance, emphasizing the crucial role that all stakeholders, including the audience, play in ensuring the success of such initiatives.
