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Do away with hand hoe to fight hunger - PM
2007-05-14 09:03:47
By Lusekelo Philemon
Prime Minister Edward Lowassa yesterday called for abandoning the hand-hoe and adoption of modern farming methods so as to help children out of hunger.
The Premier made the remarks in Dodoma at a fund-raising event dubbed “Fight Hunger: Walk the World,” which was organized by the World Food Programme (WFP).
The charity walk is targeting to raise about 100,000 US dollars to support children affected by hunger in Tanzania. A similar event took place in Dar es Salaam.
`We have to focus on modern-farming to boost our food security. We cannot continue waiting for the WFP to assist our children with food ever year,` said Lowassa, when addressing a mammoth rally at Jamhuri Stadium at the end the walk.
He said determination and commitment of ordinary people and leaders could help the country get out of child hunger and related problems.
A total of 34.1m/- was collected during the walk, ready to fight hunger facing schoolchildren in the country. Out of the money, Lowassa contributed 5m/-.
In Dar es Salaam, the Minister for Education and Vocational Training, Margaret Sitta, urged District Educational Officers, primary school head teachers and school committees to come up with a primary school feeding programme that would enable children get meals in their schools.
Sitta, who graced the Dar es Salaam walk, said: `There is overwhelming evidence that the school feeding programme plays a vital role in providing quality education to children of this nation. In order to be healthy and attentive, children need to get nutritious food while in school.`
The minister said an assessment on school feeding programme outcomes in Dodoma District revealed that World Food Programme (WFP)-assisted schools performed better in enrolment, attendance, reducing drop - out rate and even academically than non-WFP- assisted schools in the same areas.
`Primary schools are to be given the first priority. Food is not only an essential part of a child`s good health but also provides an incentive to encourage a child to enroll in school and become attentive,` she insisted.
Sitta also reminded district councils in collaboration with other education stakeholders to set aside some money in their budget to support the programme, which had registered success in other areas.
`WFP is supporting 330 schools in 11 drought-prone districts in the country. Some 200,000 children are currently given two meals a day: a mid-morning snack and school lunch,` she said.
WFP Tanzania Fight Hunger Ambassador Reginald Mengi said schools which provided meals to children had recorded increased enrolment, attendance and performance and drop-outs have decreased tremendously.
`Our government aims at achieving universal primary education. Its endeavours cannot be fruitful if school children have no food. Hunger seriously interferes with our children’s education,` Mengi said.
He said the WFP Fight Hunger - Walk the World event was aimed at creating awareness of hunger that afflicts more than 850 million people, 400 million of them being children.
`This awareness creation reminds the world that hunger has no place in our planet. All of us should work towards eradicating hunger and that is possible,` he added.
He praised the government for efforts it was making to ensure that people lived comfortably by having enough food.
The WFP Representative and Country Director, Patrick Buckley, said food played an imperative role in the children`s teaching and learning process.
Buckley said hunger and malnutrition disturbed mental development of children and hence the need for proper feeding of children.
`Fight Hunger: Walk the World,` is a global advocacy and annual fund-raising event that seeks to highlight the problem of child hunger, one of the greatest threats to health worldwide.
More than 850 million people the world over are affected by hunger, out of whom 400 million are children.
The walking campaign took place in Dar es Salaam and Dodoma regions respectively.
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