Learners get diarrhoea from porridge

Government's plan to combat inequality and increase access to educational opportunities for underprivileged children, especially orphans and vulnerable learners, includes school feeding programmes as a key component.

However, learners from Onakaale Combined School in the Ohangwena Region have complained that the soft porridge they receive through the Namibian School Feeding Programme (NSFP) gives them diarrhoea.

Learners - who spoke to Namibian Sun on condition of anonymity - said the porridge is not well prepared.

"They don't prepare the soft porridge properly; they just do it fast and it makes us sick," a learner said.

When Namibian Sun visited the school last week, learners were lined up to receive their daily meal.

The majority of the learners who come from disadvantaged backgrounds rely on this porridge to get through the day.

According to Otungana circuit education inspector Chrispin Masule, the NSFP is crucial because it encourages learners to stay in school.

“Once there is delay in the delivery of maize meal, there is a low turnout of learners at school. The government is really trying,” he said.

Thankful

Principal Sanio Mutilifa said they are thankful for the NSFP as it contributes to learner attendance.

She, however, added that the school is still in need of assistance in terms of infrastructure.

“We have a lack of classrooms and most learners attend lessons in shacks, which is uncomfortable as it gets hot inside."

She called on Good Samaritans to assist the school as government cannot do it alone.

“The grant we receive from the government is not enough, but the government is trying its level best to cater for the needs of the learners,” Mutilifa said.

She added that schools in Ohangwena should receive more from the education ministry’s budget as they are most negatively affected by a lack of various necessities.