SUSTAINABILITY OF SCHOOL FEEDING PROGRAMME IN WESTERN ZAMBIA

Abstract

School Feeding Programme (SFP) is the provision of food to primary day-school children. It is an intervention designed to support the education of children living in poverty and food insecure areas. It is viewed as a potential safety net and social support measure that help keep children in school and make them learn. The study was designed to establish the sustainability of school feeding programme in Zambia with specific focus on Western Zambia. A descriptive survey design was used. The study employed both qualitative and quantitative research methods. The instruments that were used in data collection included questionnaires, interviews and focus group discussion guides. This research was conducted in nine of the sixteen districts of Western Zambia. The sample consisted of four hundred fifteen respondents drawn from the targeted population. Simple sampling and purposive sampling procedures were used to select the respondents. Qualitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics while qualitative data were done using the thematic approach. The findings of the study revealed that SFP in most schools was not sustainable because it relied mostly on external support and also showed that the challenges faced the implementation of SFP were diverse. Few Schools that revealed SF was sustainable attributed the sustainability to the school projects they were engaged in. It was also disclosed that Home Grown School Feeding (HGSF) was identified as the best option for effective and sustainable SFP. The study recommends the need for the government to revamp the production unit in all the schools; for correct assessment of local and national capacity, and the need for complimentary investment in local agricultural production to ensure smooth programme operation and sustainability.