Ouagadougou: The President of the Technical Consultation Framework of the Presidential Initiative (CTC-IP) and Secretary General of the Prime Minister’s Office, Abdou Salam Gampéné, announced on Wednesday that the government of Burkina Faso, along with its partners, has invested more than 20 billion FCFA into school canteens. This significant financial injection aims to ensure that each school-age child receives at least one balanced meal per day.
According to Burkina Information Agency, Abdou Salam Gampéné emphasized that despite the substantial investment, these funds do not fully cover all schools with adequate canteen facilities. Gampéné addressed these concerns during a national workshop in Ouagadougou, which focused on validating the preliminary draft law concerning school food and nutrition in the country.
The Presidential Initiative is described as an innovative program that not only seeks to improve the food and nutritional security of school-age children but also supports vulnerable households fac
ing food insecurity. The Secretary-General highlighted that the initiative is designed to create a formal link between local production and the supply chain for school canteens.
Gampéné mentioned that a study recommended by the CTC-IP in March 2022 identified various dysfunctions within school canteens, notably the lack of a legal framework. The ongoing national workshop aims to achieve consensus among stakeholders and promote ownership of school food and nutrition issues.
Alice Sidibé, the Permanent Secretary of the initiative, expressed gratitude towards the country’s authorities for their support and trust, as reflected in the development of the first preliminary draft law on school canteens. Sidibé pointed out that the draft law is not just an ordinary text but a regulatory framework for all school food and nutrition interventions in Burkina Faso. She underscored the importance of relying on the educational field for the country’s sustainable development.
Since its official launch in June 2021, the ini
tiative ‘Ensure every school-age child has at least one balanced meal per day’ has aimed to enhance school food and nutrition across Burkina Faso.