Omuthiya: The government school feeding programme will be extended to 418 Early Childhood Development (ECD) centres in the Oshikoto Region as from next week. The announcement was made at a meeting of government departmental heads hosted by the Ministry of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sports, Arts and Culture in Omuthiya on Thursday.

According to Namibia Press Agency, Theofilus Nuugulu, head of the ECD rollout delegation, stated that the school feeding programme, which is currently offered at primary schools across the country, will be extended to all ECD centres with a possibility of including secondary schools in the near future. The introduction of the feeding programme to ECD centres aims to improve the nutritional state of children, promote healthy eating and learning outcomes, and increase attendance and retention. 'Some children are dropping out of ECD centres because of hunger and that is a very embarrassing state of affairs, children need a holistic development approach,' Nuugulu said.

He further explained that the instant porridge provided is fortified with essential nutrients and minerals and is quick to prepare in low-resource settings. The ECD centres will start receiving the instant porridge next Monday as children return to school, and a total of 3,200 children will be catered for under this initiative in the region.

Deputy Director of ECD in the Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare, Loide Velishavo, emphasized that the feeding programme should reach all corners of the region. 'In the Oshikoto Region we have marginalised communities that need this food. All children need to eat and they should at least have a proper meal,' she said. Velishavo also indicated that the ministry has trained individuals who will cascade the training to the cooks at the various ECD centres. 'We do not want the children to eat just for the sake of eating, we want them to eat food that is nutritious,' she added.