Kpandai assembly supports schools with maize ahead of lean season

The Kpandai District Assembly in the Northern Region has begun distributing foodstuffs to boarding educational institutions across the district as part of efforts to ensure uninterrupted feeding of students ahead of the annual lean season, the period between planting and harvest when food stocks are often low and food prices rise.

More than 200 bags of yellow maize have been supplied to four boarding institutions in the district to help cushion them against anticipated food shortages during the June-July period, when access to food crops often becomes difficult.

The beneficiary institutions are Kpandai Senior High School, Nkanchina Community Health Nursing Training College, Kpandai Girls Model Junior High School, and Kpandai Let Us Shine Girls School.

Each of the four boarding institutions received 50 bags of 50kg Yellow Maize. 

Presenting the maize to the schools, the District Chief Executive (DCE) for Kpandai, Haruna Abdul-Karim, said the initiative was intended to provide a reliable food reserve for the institutions ahead of the lean season.

According to him, the support would ease the financial burden on the schools and allow them to channel their limited resources into other pressing needs while ensuring that students continue to receive adequate meals.

The DCE said the intervention also forms part of the District Assembly's broader efforts to support education and improve student welfare across the district through strategic partnerships with educational institutions.

"These students belong to all of us, and as an assembly, we have a responsibility to contribute to their welfare and development. This support is also intended to complement government efforts in feeding students and ensuring that no child studies on an empty stomach," he said.

Mr. Abdul-Karim stressed that adequate nutrition was essential for effective teaching and learning, adding that the assembly would continue to support educational institutions, particularly during periods when food supplies become scarce.

He further expressed the assembly's readiness to assist schools interested in establishing school farms, describing the initiative as a sustainable solution to improving food security in educational institutions.

"School farming can help ensure a continuous supply of food for students while reducing the pressure on school budgets. We are prepared to support schools with the necessary assistance to make such projects successful," he added.

The Headmaster of Kpandai Senior High School, Alidu Mohammed, in an interview with Graphic Online commended the assembly for the intervention, noting that it was not the first time the school had benefited from such support.

He said the maize would be used exclusively for preparing meals for students and would serve as an important buffer during periods when government food supplies are delayed.

"Sometimes food supplies do not arrive on time, and when that happens, students can suffer. Having this support means we have something to fall back on to ensure feeding continues uninterrupted," he said.

Mr. Mohammed disclosed that the school was also planning to establish a maize farm this year to supplement government food supplies.

According to him, the school has vast tracts of land that could be utilised for agricultural production.

"When I came here, I realised the school has a lot of land. Many teachers are already farming on portions of it, and I believe the school can also use part of the land for its own farming activities. We are considering starting with about 10 acres of maize cultivation this year," he explained.

He appealed to the district assembly to support the initiative with agricultural inputs and tractor services to help ensure its success.

Mr. Mohammed said although discussions about school farming had featured in government policy conversations in recent years, little had been seen on the ground.

"We have heard about school farm projects before, but we have not seen any significant implementation. As a school, we are determined to begin our own initiative while awaiting any government intervention," he added.

The Headmistress of Kpandai Girls Model Junior High School, Elizabeth Sarfo, also welcomed the support, describing it as timely and crucial.

She explained that about 60 per cent of the school's students are boarders, making feeding a major challenge, especially when parents delay or fail to pay feeding fees.

"For us, this support is a huge relief. If parents are unable to pay feeding fees, it directly affects our ability to provide meals. Whenever we face such challenges, we often turn to the assembly for assistance," she said.

Ms. Sarfo noted that the June-July period is traditionally difficult for obtaining foodstuffs and expressed appreciation to the assembly for intervening before shortages become severe.

"This has come at the right time because June and July are always difficult months when food becomes scarce and expensive. The support will go a long way in helping us feed our students and maintain academic activities without disruption," she added.