GSFP, WFP Launch Home-Grown School Feeding Pilot for 33,598 Pupils

The Ghana School Feeding Programme is partnering with the United Nations World Food Programme to test a new Home-Grown School Feeding model that will feed more than 33,000 kindergarten and primary pupils while boosting local farming.

The GSFP National Coordinator, Hajia Fati Forgor, joined WFP, the Lions Clubs International Foundation, and World Food Program USA on Friday to launch the pilot project.

The initiative will run in Karaga District in the Northern Region and Sekyere Central District in the Ashanti Region, covering about 100 selected schools.

Under the pilot, children will receive safe, nutritious meals prepared daily from locally produced food.

The model is designed to tackle short-term hunger in classrooms and improve learning outcomes, while also creating a ready market for smallholder farmers in the two districts.

Hajia Fati Forgor said the Home-Grown approach aligns with government efforts to strengthen local food systems and make school feeding more sustainable.

WFP officials noted that linking school meals directly to local production can improve nutrition and keep food money circulating within rural communities.

The project, supported by LCIF and World Food Program USA, will be monitored to assess its impact on child nutrition, school attendance, and farmer incomes before any scale-up.

If successful, the Home-Grown School Feeding model could provide lessons for expanding GSFP nationwide at a time when food prices and supply challenges continue to strain public budgets.

Story by Hajara Fuseini

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