The Kuru Kuru Primary School Feeding Program began in March 2022. It serves to provide greater access to food for students. A large number of the students come from poor families. Many are unable to attend school on the days where no meal is being served and cannot afford to bring a meal from home. To date, the program has benefitted 42 nursery and primary students. Students receive a hot, nutritious meal as well as a piece of fruit and a cup of fruit juice on a daily basis.
By implementing this daily lunch program at the school, teachers have noticed:
- Increased student attendance due to the incentive of a meal each day
- Improved food security situation at home. Parents can now spend any income they are able to make on meals to cook at home instead
- Reduced dropout rate among students
- Increased nutrients for healthy growth and development. This also reduced instances of illnesses caused by malnutrition
- Greater energy levels for focusing in class
- Better grades as a result of increased attentiveness
Ms. Wonetta Williams explains the difference a daily meal has made in the lives of the students and Kuru Kuru Primary School.
Jeremiah and Keysha are two of the students that are benefitting from a 5 meals a week program for the entire school year.
Jeremiah Thomas is a grade two student of Kuru Kuru Primary.
He comes from a single parent household. His mother is experiencing unemployment at the moment and has to care for her 4 children. Her health has been declining over the years and now her body is very weak. She cannot do much physical labour to sustain her family anymore as she cuts t-shore to earn an income. Their home is contructed of old zinc and wood and surrounded by high bushes. Jeremiah’s mother is thankful that her son is part of the feeding program. He can now attend school daily. This is because she cannot afford to send him to school with daily meals.
Keysha Lieveld is a grade two student who was recently enrolled into Kuru Kuru Primary.
Her mother works as a cleaner at the same school. She is a single parent of 4 girls who attend both primary and secondary school. Due to her low salary, she is unable to adequately provide for her girls. She rented a small house after having recently moved into the community. Keysha’s mother is very much thankful for the help the feeding program has been able to offer her. Now she can use the money that she earns to provide meals at home for her girls.