NAZARETH – SOME schools in the central region have run out of food supplies for their feeding programmes, leaving hundreds of primary school students on the brink of starvation.

Many of the children, especially in the rural areas, are from poor families that rely on the school feeding programmes to keep hunger at bay.

With that safety net gone, some teachers fear that many vulnerable children will drop out of school. The development in the central region follows a similar experience in the northern region in

May when food supplies ran dry because catering companies had suspended services due to delayed payments from the government.

This led to students from poor families dropping out of school.

In the central region, some schools have been forced to cut operating hours. Schools that opened from 7:45 am to 2pm are now starting at 8:30 and send students away at noon so that the children can go home early to eat.

Some schools are reducing rations to make stocks last longer.

The new school feeding model, the National Management Agent (NMA), is administered by the School Self-Reliance and Feeding Unit (SSRFU) in the Ministry of Education. Two companies,

Ruele and TJ General Dealer, both registered in Lesotho, were awarded the tender to provide food.

Under the model, the companies are expected to buy, transport, supply and ensure that the food is cooked and served to the pupils.

According to the Lesotho Vulnerability Assessment Committee (LVAC) report released in July 2022, about 521 000 people are food insecure (320 000 rural and 201 000 urban) and are in need of humanitarian support.

A grandmother of two, ‘Makhomane Pheko, said her 12-year-old grandson relies on the feeding programme.

“My last hope was on the school feeding programme and now that it has problems, I am stressed because it means I will be begging neighbours non-stop until their mother (who had them out of

wedlock and now married) gives us something,” she said.

“Lately he was reluctant to go to school but I talked to him not to abandon this opportunity to get an education despite the challenges.”

The 62-year-old is battling with arthritis and her leg recently got fractured forcing her to stay in bed.

“Life is hard,” she said, sobbing.

Ha-Ramotšoane Caterer, ‘Maitumeleng Sehlabaka, said she signed her contract in April but only started cooking in May because there was no food.

“As a parent, it broke my heart having to serve children pap only, my child included. Some of the children can’t afford to bring their own relish,” she said.

She said they (her and her colleague) were only paid salaries for two months, April and May.

“Every day I show up at work hoping to get paid as I am a breadwinner. My child had to drop out of school because I couldn’t afford to pay her Grade 9 fees. We can’t even afford to buy soap,” she said.

“I am expected to come to work clean but I don’t even have soap at home to wash my clothes. I am struggling,” she said, adding that her husband doesn’t work and relies on piece jobs and sometimes goes without pay.

“Sometimes, the seven of us go to sleep on empty stomachs. I am deep in debt as I had hoped to be paid soon. I dedicate my time here because I need money for my family’s basic needs and I am afraid to quit because it can be used against me when I have to claim my payment.”

Ha-Ramotšoane Government Primary School teacher, Molato Ramochele, said food stocks were available when schools reopened but ran out of relish (lijelello) beans/peas and pupils were expected to bring their own in September.

“Some pupils were eating pap without any relish,” he said.

Pupils were asked to bring their own pap on Monday when thepost visited the school. The caterers say they have been putting in personal sacrifices for the sake of the children, but they are getting fed up.

They said they at some point even slaughtered one of their two pigs “to meet the children half way.”

“We tried to plant crops but since our school yard is not fenced, animals ate those vegetables. We have been asking for a fence for a very long time with no luck,” he said.

He said Ruele kept on making empty promises that they will bring food but to date, there is still nothing.

“It affects pupils badly because some of them are orphans relying on school feeding on a daily basis.”

He said almost 40 percent of the 250 students from Grade R to 7 rely on the school feeding programme.

“Our education is also affected as attendance declines once food runs dry,” he said.

Ramochele added that “it’s heart-breaking because we live in a different era. During our time, we would eat Mphothe and call it ‘Malebota but for these children it’s foreign to them.”

He said primary schools in Nazareth generally experience problems when it comes to food supply.

“I am sure some schools are experiencing the same problem as us. It’s not something new,” he said.

“Ruele should give us food on time or stop because e ea re siteloa. It was better when the school feeding was handled by WFP because we never ran out of food…with Ruele, children are suffering.”

The school principal, ‘Maborane Manyeli, said she needed the school board’s permission to talk when thepost reached her for comment.

“It will not be an immediate thing as board members have their errands to run,” she said.

She later called back saying SSRFU officers had visited the school “and settled their affairs so I don’t think we need to talk about them anymore since they paid what they were supposed to pay and we discussed the matter.”

Nazareth Principal, Thabiso Sekoetja, said the school is running out of food commodities.

“But I am hopeful another batch will come soon as I was told that supplies will come before our current stock is finished. The stock we have will not last until schools closure, November 29.”

Machache Primary School principal, Phakiso Sekaleli, shared similar sentiments about the shortage of food, adding that the remaining stocks are enough for 13 days.

“The current food we are using was supposed to be for the second quarter but it arrived late. The first quarter ended without food and we only received stocks around April,” he said.

“Ruele needs to be removed because it gives us problems not only with pupils but caterers as well as they are not paid on time. We have to beg them to come even though they are not paid. Because they are desperate, they show up every day but in some schools, they have left.”

Ruele Group Lesotho supplied food stocks in September enough for three months.

“Miraculously, they didn’t even last for two months because the school rolls have increased drastically compared to the ones we were given by the ministry of education,” Sekaleli said.

Ruele Group Lesotho Director, Thabo Ntsane, said investigations are ongoing.

The problem, said Ntsane, was that principals didn’t highlight increased enrolment, resulting in schools getting inadequate rations.

“They just accept and sign, leading us to this problem.”

“We were contracted for 59 300 pupils and after realising the problem, we will be in talks with the government to find a way forward but it won’t be a one day thing as there are procedures to be followed in government,” he said, adding that “the ministry has to investigate enrolment thoroughly and give us the correct figures.”

Ntsane said delays in government payments have affected their operations. Heavy rains and the rough terrain and other challenges lead to delays in food distribution in schools.

“We supply on a quarterly basis and before it ends, we bring more to avoid starving pupils.”

Ntsane rubbished claims that caterers were only paid for April and May, saying caterers signed their contracts in April and they are only owed two months salaries.

“We are unable to pay them because we are still owed and it’s a lot of money. We have talked with them that they will not get their salaries on a monthly basis,” he said, without disclosing how much the ministry owes the companies.

The Ministry of Education and Training (MoET) CEO, Thuto Ntšekhe-Mokhehle, said the school feeding programme faces “a lot” of challenges that needs to be addressed structurally.

“We can’t request M182m for school feeding and be given only M140m and be expected to respond to why children starve. It’s a mixture of issues which we are now addressing and even if these suppliers are wrong, we can’t step on them hard because we owe them,” she said.

She says as a way forward for a permanent solution, they are reviewing the school feeding policy. One solution could be using produce of local farmers to feed pupils but there are challenges.

“It’s just a dream and unless agriculture, trade and finance ministries come on board, it is a mission impossible. We are moving towards making this policy multi-sectoral. Some of the things fail because we are alone.”

Ntšekhe-Mokhehle said attendance by underprivileged pupils is mostly affected as they are attracted to school by food provisions.

“We want children to be comfortable,” said Ntšekhe-Mokhehle. The government has acknowledged the importance of the school feeding programme.

Speaking during the donation of M31 million from the government of Japan through the World Food Programme for ECCD school feeding programme, the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET), Principal Secretary Basic Education, Dr Lira Khama, said the school feeding programme contributes to efforts to address social challenges confronting several vulnerable groups in communities.

These include malnutrition, undernutrition, stunting and low enrolment rates at pre-primary and primary levels.

“Over the years, this invaluable contribution has indeed made school feeding one of the largest safety-net programmes in Lesotho.”

He said studies have shown that “a well-designed school feeding programme can be a panacea for some of the bottlenecks persisting in our education system.”

He said the school feeding programme is critical in addressing nutrition challenges faced by children in Lesotho, particularly when the diet provided includes macro- and micronutrients to support the physical and mental development of children at the critical age group of two-three years found in pre-schools.

“The provision of school meals has thus proven to be even more critical in addressing these challenges faced by Basotho children from underprivileged families,” said Dr Khama.

He said the ministry recognises school feeding as an investment and not expenditure.

He said there is evidence to suggest that improved nutrition leads to improved cognitive capacities of children.

Other benefits of the school feeding programme include improved school attendance and access, he said.

“We are aware that many children attend school because it is a place where they can access a decent meal.”

He said hunger and malnutrition have adverse effects on the physical and mental health of children and negatively affects their behavioural and emotional development.

“Therefore, children are at the core of the school feeding policy…This augurs well with the Rights of the Child, especially Article 4 on the Protection of Rights, which requires governments to create environments where children can grow and reach their full potential.”

‘Mapule Motsopa