Breakfast Programme

Overview

• Many studies show that poor health and nutritional status impact negatively on attendance and academic performance. 
• The Health Intervention provided a daily well balanced breakfast to needy children to relieve short term hunger in the morning.  Students reportedly fainted at assembly in the mornings, fell asleep in class and were not alert. 
• To date 2250 students from 18 SCHOOLS have benefited from the programme.

Manual

A complete manual (adobe acrobat reader required to read this document) has been created that includes:

• Instructions on creating a programme at your school
• Recomendations for creating succesful management structure
• Menus that will provide proper nutrition to your students
• Sample budgets for schools
• Auditing information

Results

• Since receiving a regular breakfast, teachers have reported improvements in the disposition (less aggressive), alertness and receptivity of the students who benefited.
• Objective measures show the following:
  • Underweight decreased from 7.3% to 2.7%
  • Attendance increased from 65% to 86%
  • Breakfast students increased performance by more than 100%

Inputs by the NHP

• Funding for the food was provided by the NHP for 3 years.
• Technical assistance was provided by a nutrition specialist. 
• PTA members were trained to run the programme effectively.  Three hundred and fifty one (351) parents/community persons and teachers were trained in capacity building and community involvement
• Income generating enterprises have already started in 4 schools and planned for another 5
• Schools were also provided with several resources including training and procedure manuals, textbooks on health and nutrition, an educational game and medical scales for weighing and measuring the students. 

Sustainability

• Schools must now sustain the programme and must seek alternative sources of funding.  A strategy to help the schools is being developed and implemented.
• Known as the Triple PS plan, it involves partnership mainly with the private sector, past students and parents of the students. 
• The pilot schools participating in this effort are listed below.  If you wish to learn more about any of these schools and to give your support, please click on the link for that school below.