Botswana's Government to Provide Students with Breakfast in All Pre-Schools and Primary Schools

The Government of Botswana on Monday announced its plans to start providing students in all pre-schools and primary schools with breakfast. The initiative was made following the recommendations of a task team set up in 2013 to "come up with a menu that provides nutrients to promote optimal health, growth and development as well as prevent nutritional deficiencies". 

The breakfast to be provided will include Rooibos tea with bread, peanut butter or jam, boiled eggs, mabele or maize meal soft porridge, milk, and an orange or an apple. Below is the full statement.

"Government, through the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, has resolved to provide breakfast meals at pre-schools and primary schools beginning 1st April 2019 for the financial year 2019/2020. This follows recommendations of the Task Team set up in 2013 by Government to come up with a menu that provides nutrients to promote optimal health, growth and development as well as prevent nutritional deficiencies (and equally align the primary school menu to that of secondary schools). 

"The school menu for primary schools is geared towards supporting poverty eradication and home-grown feeding initiatives to economically empower and capacitate Botswana to promote micro and small scale entrepreneurship. The food commodities to be provided include rooibos tea with bread, peanut butter or jam, boiled eggs, mabele or maize meal soft porridge, milk, and an orange or an apple. These meals, based on sufficient nutrients required by pupils, are to be taken by learners daily before the commencement of lessons in the morning."

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