ASSESSING THE PERFORMANCE OF THE SCHOOL FEEDING PROGRAMME IN GHANA; A CASE STUDY OFATWIMA KWANWOMA DISTRICT

Abstract

Poverty is a common social issue throughout the world and as such several social intervention policies (educational, health and employment) have been implemented worldwide to help reduce or eradicate poverty. Unfortunately, these intervention policies seem not to be making the desired impact; hence, the need to assess and make necessary recommendations to improve and make them more effective and efficient. One of such interventions is the Ghana School Feeding Programme which has the aims of encouraging basic school pupils to attend school regularly, reduce the burden on their parents, and provide employment (caterers) and enable local farmers get ready market for their farm produce. Due to some challenges, the programme is failing to achieve its goal and objectives. The Atwima Kwanwoma District has majority of its settlements being rural and peri-urban and has suffered poverty over the years and continues to do so. The objectives of this study were to determine the percentage of the targeted population benefiting from the programme and identify the major challenges of the programme in the district. Data for the study was collected through the administration of questionnaires. The data gathered was electronically analyzed. From the results of the analysis, it was found out that the total of beneficiaries are 18,086 of which 55% have benefited from the programme in different ways whiles 45% have not benefited in any way. The major challenges of the programme are political interference, poor monitoring and evaluation and misuse of resources by some caterers and their employees leading to shortages in some schools. Therefore, to these challenges, suitable recommendations were made to improve the programme so that it will help reduce poverty in the district. They include; developing policies to limit the power of politicians with regards to the school feeding programme, monitoring of the programme regularly as it will keep the officials and caterers on their feet doing the right thing at all times, rewards and severe punishments should be given to all those who are caught doing things that will negatively affect the programme and impede its success and plans should be made by the district and the MOFA to assist farmers (financially or technically) to enable them perform their role towards the success of the programme by achieving food security within the district and nation.