This policy lays down the mandate, goal and objectives of school feeding in Namibia and establishes the principles governing the planning, implementation and management of the Namibian School Feeding Programme (NSFP). It sets out the roles and responsibilities of key stakeholders in Government, private sector, civil society and the local communities. The over-arching goal of the policy is to contribute to improved equitable access, quality learning and education for all children in Namibia. It establishes school feeding as a significant safety net, that addresses hunger especially for food insecure households and lays emphasis on the role of school feeding in addressing health and nutrition of learners through the provision of a diversified nutritious diet, which contributes to their ability to concentrate in class. In the long term, it has the potential to contribute positively to strengthening the human development capacity of the nation by improving education, increasing chances of children attaining rewarding employment and significantly reducing socio-economic inequalities. To ensure sustainability, the policy advocates for the linkage of the NSFP to locally produced foods thereby bringing diversity to school meals while increasing income for smallholder producers. The specific objectives of the policy are: (1) Enhance access, retention and learning outcomes through timely access to diverse nutritious food in schools; (2) Enhance nutrition and health of learners through provision of balanced and fortified meals; (3) Support smallholder producers by linking them to the Namibia School Feeding Programme and; (4) Strengthen coordination and sectoral linkages in the management, implementation and monitoring of the Namibia School Feeding Programme.
Health and Education Resource Centre