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January 23, 2024As the 2024 academic year kicks off, the Mpumalanga Education Department has announced
that over 900,000 provincial students will benefit from the National School Nutrition
Programme. MEC Bonakele Majuba confirmed contracts are in place to provide meals without
disruption to nurture young minds and bodies.
Proper nutrition is essential for growth and learning. The school meals program aims to combat
hunger’s detrimental effects on concentration, attendance, and development. Well-fed students
have more energy to actively participate in class and better focus on their studies.
The Nutrition Programme also facilitates important health education. By promoting balanced
diets and habits like handwashing, children gain life-long skills to care for their bodies. School
vegetable gardens give hands-on experience with nutrition sources.
MEC Bonakele Majuba said the department has trained food handlers and contracted service
providers to ensure no child goes hungry. “Nourishing minds and bodies through this noble
programme remains our priority,” he stated.
According to MEC Majuba, the programme’s benefits go beyond filling bellies. It fosters
knowledge, empowerment, and sustainability from the ground up. Students develop a deeper
appreciation for nutrition’s role in their school performance and future well-being.
The initiative provides more than just meals. Majuba said it empowers healthy lifestyles and
community sustainability through nutrition education and school gardens.
He urged schools to use unused land for vegetable gardens and orchards. “Let’s work together to
nourish children’s minds, bodies and communities – it’s in our hands,” the MEC remarked.
With Mpumalanga facing chronic poverty and its related health effects, officials emphasise
proper childhood nutrition’s long-term dividends. The programme aims to give all students an
equal chance to flourish.
As classes resume, authorities have worked diligently to ensure the 2024 school body can learn
with satisfied stomachs. Officials urge continued community partnership to nourish our greatest
resource – the minds and health of Mpumalanga’s youth.