Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Cynthia Maamle Morrison, has said “gari jollof” has been introduced as a new menu into the school feeding programme.
She said the invention of the gari jollof, which food nutritionist has recommended as good would enhance the sustainability of the programme.
Mrs Morrison made this known when she addressed caterers from 11 schools at Agona Bobikuma and Agona Kwamang in the Agona West Constituency of the Central Region at a training workshop to update their knowledge on the preparation of the new meal.
The workshop was on “Promotion of Gari into a main Meal.”
Mrs Morriosn who is also the Member of Parliament for Agona West said: “I am enthused to take you through the preparation of my signature dish, ‘Gari Fotor’” and this is not the regular fotor you all know.”
She asked the caterers to fortify the meal by using locally available ingredients such as vegetables, carrot, cabbage, spring onions, legumes, beans, cowpea and egg, adding; “This combination makes it highly nutritional.”
The Minister said the introduction of the gari jollof would ginger cassava farmers to increase production and improve food security.
Dr. Mrs Gertrude Quarshigah, the National Coordinator for the GSFP said the acquisition of the new cooking skill was significant for the caterers because one of the objectives of the GSFP was to reduce hunger and malnutrition, especially among schoolchildren.
She said she was hopeful that caterers would take the skills acquired at the workshop to enable them cook decent and delicious foods to feed the children in order to sustain the government’s social intervention programme.
Nana Kofi Yeboah VIII, the Chief of Lower Bobikuma applauded the government for the introduction of GSFP and noted that it had increased enrolment at the basic schools while ensuring retention of pupils at the schools.
He called on the Ministry and GSFP to expand the feeding programme to cover more schools in the rural to encourage teaching and learning.
Nana Yeboah lauded the Minister for organizing the training programme for the caterers to help them prepare nutritious food for the schoolchildren for a healthy living.
Source: GNA