School feeding programmes in Chimutu, Malawi: Opportunities, benefits and challenges.

Abstract

Developing countries have the highest dropout as well as non enrollment rates among primary school pupils. However there are efforts to reverse the situation through interventions like school feeding programme to improve schooling outcomes. The aim of this study was specifically to find out the details of why school participation is still a problem among primary school children despite provision of food in primary school. This was achieved through discussions on community members’ participation, benefits and challenges of the school feeding programme. Data collected from key informants and community members using in-depth interviews revealed the benefits and challenges as well as perceptions on community participation. Data was collected from 46 respondents of whom 14 were key informants from government and NGO implementers and 32 community members who are benefiting from the intervention in the area of Traditional Authority Chimutu in Lilongwe District, Malawi. The study found out that although school feeding programme is beneficial through provision of at least a meal a day, it is not meeting some of its objectives. In summary the findings revealed community members acknowledgement that the school feeding programme encourages school attendance and high pupil enrolment. However, the findings revealed that meal provision in school can neither prevent school dropout nor malnutrition due to challenges like inconsistency in feeding frequency, porridge purchase expenses and monitoring and evaluation inadequacies. It was also found that community participation in the school feeding programme does not go beyond porridge preparation. Overall, the study revealed the need for community members involvement at all levels in the feeding programme to achieve sustainable development because the community members are key in identifying and addressing their livelihood challenges.