Assessment on Challenges of the School Feeding Program: Case of Kindo Koysha District Four Public Primary Schools in Southern Ethiopia

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to assess the implementation challenges existing on school feeding program beneficiary public primary schools in Kindo Koysha district. Specific objectives of the study are to assess implementers’ policy or program knowledge and understanding on the program, identify infrastructural constraints of the program, explore the management related challenges and evaluating the role of community participation in the program implementation. The study employed questionnaire, focus group discussion and interviews to collect the data. Mixed research approach was employed to run this research. The study findings revealed that poor knowledge and understanding of the program implementers on school feeding policy, lack of training for implementers, centralized program decisions, lack of awareness creation, lack of infrastructural facilities: absence of clean water supply, lack of program planning, monitoring and evaluation practices and poor mobilization of community to the program. Lastly, the study recommended the need for nationwide school feeding policy formulation, making close and strict co-ordination and collaboration with development actors and deep-rooted promotion of program planning, monitoring and evaluation. School feeding program implementation in Kindo Koysha district is carried by unskilled implementers and inappropriate program inputs. Key w ords: Challenge, Implementation, School Feeding Program, Students, Public primary school 1. DOI: 10.7176/RHSS/12-11-02 Publication date: June 30 th 2022