Situation de la Cantine Scolaire Au Burundi

Figure 4 : HE the First Lady of Burundi shares the hot lunch with the schoolchildren of the Primary School of FINGKANME in Benin

Situation de la Cantine Scolaire au Burundi

Écrit par M. Liboire BIGIRIMANA, le Directeur National Des Cantines Scolaires au Burundi et Porte Parole du Ministre de l’Education Nationale et de la Recherche Scientifique et Point Focal, Enquête Mondiale du GCNF sur L’Alimentation Scolaire 2021

La cantine scolaire au Burundi a vu le jour depuis les années 1960 avec les interventions du PAM sous forme de fourniture aux Ecoles à régime d’internat des commodités essentiellement composées par du lait en poudre, de la viande et du poisson en boîte de conserve. En 2008, les provinces du Nord du Burundi ont été affectées par des changements climatiques, sous forme de sécheresse, ayant abouti à la paupérisation des ménages, une situation qui a contraint les enfants à abandonner l’école et ont fui vers les pays limitrophes du Burundi : la Tanzanie et le Rwanda. Les autres ont regagné les grandes capitales du Burundi dans le souci de se faire embaucher et gagner de l’argent.

Pour pallier à cette situation, le PAM et le Gouvernement du Burundi ont convenu à travers un Accord, de financer des repas chauds de midi, pour motiver les enfants à regagner les salles de cours.

En 2013, la philosophie de la cantine scolaire est passé du concept d’intervention d’urgence en intervention de développement dans le sens où le Gouvernement a décidé que soit développé une cantine scolaire qui s’approvisionne en produits locaux, pour constituer un marché permanent des petits producteurs regroupés dans des coopératives et Association de production agricole, d’où le concept d’une cantine scolaire endogène (Home Grown School Feeding).

I. LES GRANDES REALISATION DU GOUVERNEMENT EN MATIERE D’ALIMENTATION SCOLAIRE
Les grandes réalisations du Gouvernement se résument en plusieurs aspects :
 
Aspects Institutionnels :
  1. En 2016, il a été créé une Direction Nationale des Cantines Scolaires ayant pour encrage institutionnel au niveau du Cabinet du Ministre,
  2. Le 14/11/2018, le Gouvernement du Burundi a validé et endossé le Programme National d’Alimentation Scolaire, un outil d’orientation stratégique et de dialogue avec les Partenaires au Développement (PTF) ;
  3. En 2020, SE la Première Dame du Burundi Madame Angéline NDAYISHIMIYE a accepté d’être Marraine du Programme National d’Alimentation Scolaire ;
  4. En 2021, le Burundi a adhéré au sein de la coalition Mondiale des Repas Scolaires.

Au niveau engament financier : le Gouvernement du Burundi a depuis 2008, mis à la disposition du PAM sa contrepartie pour financer l’achat des commodités en faveur de la cantine scolaire. Les montants alloués par le Gouvernement à l’alimentation scolaire sont de l’ordre de 2 millions de dollars us. Ces contributions du Gouvernement devraient atteindre 6 millions de dollars us avec la rentrée scolaire 2023-2024!

Une étude réalisée localement montre que la cantine scolaire contribue à l’amélioration des indicateurs scolaires et le niveau de vie des producteurs.

II. LA COUVERTURE GEOGRAPHIQUE

Le Programme National d’Alimentation Scolaire (PNAS) intervient en faveur de 847 Ecoles Fondamentales à travers 7 provinces du Pays (Bubanza, Bujumbura, Cibitoke, Gitega, Muyinga, Ngozi et Kirundo). Le Total des bénéficiaires du PNAS s’élève à plus de 650.000 écoliers sur une cible estimée à 2,8 millions d’enfants de l’Ecole Fondamentales. Pour réussir une cantine universelle, une mobilisation conséquente des fonds devrait se faire et par les PTFs, le Gouvernement et les communautés pour combler les gaps.

III. LES MEILLEURS PRATIQUES EN MATIERE D’ALIMENTATION SCOLAIRE AU BURUNDI

La mise en œuvre du PNAS se heurte à plusieurs défis liés notamment aux ressources financières assez limitées pour répondre à une demande de terrain de plus en plus croissante. En outre, une cantine innovante est un impératif suite à la nécessité de protéger l’environnement dans un contexte où la principale source d’énergie pour préparer les repas des enfants reste le bois de chauffe. L’idée est d’asseoir des mécanismes innovants pour éviter que la cantine scolaire ne soit pas la cause de dégradation de l’environnement. Les meilleurs pratiques sont notamment :

a) Pour limiter le volume de bois de chauffe à utiliser, nous avons pensé à la construction des foyers améliorés institutionnels (foyers en béton utilisant peu de bois de chauffe et conservant la chaleur et réduisant drastiquement la quantité de dioxyde de carbone rejetée dans l’atmosphère) et l’utilisation des briquettes (combustibles obtenus suite au compactage industriels des restes ménages, des herbes et des restes des récoltes du riz). 

 

b) Pour une bonne gouvernance de la cantine scolaire, un outil de gestion des stocks a été introduit dans les écoles à cantine scolaire : School connect. Il s’agit d’une gestion digitalisée qui se fait sur des tablettes et qui permet de faire un track efficient et efficace de la gestion des stocks. L’outil permet d’avoir une idée sur l’utilisation des vivres en tant réel par rapport au nombre de bénéficiaires;

c) La consommation des produits à très haute valeur nutritive comme les champignons et le lait pour un apport protéinique consistant,

d) L’implication des communautés pour appuyer la cantine scolaire : les communautés participent à la préparation et distribution des repas scolaires, apportent du bois de chauffe, de l’eau et des légumes pour compléter la ration alimentaire des enfants ;

e) L’introduction des achats décentralisés : le Gouvernement et le PAM mettent à la disposition des responsables des structures déconcentrées des moyens financiers pour acheter au près des producteurs les commodités en faveur de la cantine. Cette approche est l’un des éléments pour pallier aux ruptures de stocks et augmente les quantités des commodités car est une solution aux coûts exorbitants du transport  des vivres ;

f) Introduction de l’hydroponie (production des légumes sous serre dans les zones à déficits hydriques pour compléter les repas scolaires en légumes.

 

IV. LES PARTENAIRES DU PROGRAMME NATIONAL D’ALIMENTATION SCOLAIRE

La mise en œuvre du PNAS est appuyée par les interventions des différents partenaires au Développement. Ces partenaires sont essentiellement la Banque Mondiale (construction des foyers améliorés et leurs abris, la fourniture des fonds pour acheter des commodités), les Pays Bas, le Fonds mondial pour l’Education à travers l’Agence Française de Développement(AFD),la Fédération de Russie, La Fondation Rock Feler (Appui financier et technique), les USA à travers McGovern-Dole. Au niveau local, le partenariat se traduit par le développement de la chaîne de valeur lait et farine de maïs fortifiée…..Les progrès réalisés grâce au partenariat se traduit par leur contribution à la protection de l’environnement, la fourniture des repas sains riches et nutritifs, assurer la bonne gouvernance de la cantine scolaire…

 

 

 V. PARTICIPATION DU BURUNDI AUX FORUMS GCNF

Depuis 2014, le Burundi a participé à la plus part des forum organisés par le GCNF. Le Burundi a participé notament aux Forum GCNF organisés au Brésil, Cape Verde, Afrique du Sud, Canada, Tunisie, Arménie et au Bénin. Tous ces Fora ont permis au Burundi de capitaliser les expériences des autres pays en matière de gestion, de financement et pérennisation de l’alimentation scolaire. Pour exemple, le forum GCNF du Brésil a permis au Burundi de rédiger sa politique d’alimentation scolaire. Pour le forum GCNF de Montréal au Canada, il a permis au Burundi de bâtir des partenariats pour assurer le financement de la cantine scolaire. Pour le forum GCNF du Bénin, le Burundi a pu comprendre la part du chaque Gouvernement à financer lui-même l’alimentation scolaire. C’est pourquoi, dès septembre 2023, le Burundi financera l’alimentation scolaire à hauteur de 12,7 milliards de Francs Burundais soit 6 millions de dollars US, soit une augmentation de 164% par rapport aux financements des années précédentes (4,8 milliards de Francs Burundais)!

On notera des visites d’échange d’expériences régulièrement organisées et auxquelles a participé SE la Première Dame et Marraine du Programme d’Alimentation Scolaire au Burundi Madame Angéline NDAYISHIMIYE. Il s’agit des visites d’échange d’expérience faites au Bénin en 2021 et au Sénégal en 2023.

Figure 1: Her Excellence Angéline Ndayishimiye, First Lady of Burundi and Sponsor of the National School Feeding Program
Photo 1 : SE Angéline NDAYISHIMIYE,PREMIERE DAME DU BURUNDI ET MARRAINE DU PROGRAMME NATIONAL D’ALIMENTATION SCOLAIRE
Figure 2: Prototype of an Institutional Improved Hearth used in schools with school canteens in Burundi
Photo 2 : Prototype d’un Foyer Amélioré Institutionnel utilisé dans les Ecoles à cantine scolaire au Burundi
Figure 3 : HE the First Lady of Burundi Angéline NDAYISHIMIYE sharing school meals at the ECOFO of Muyange I in Burundi for the celebration of the African School Feeding Day
Photo 3 : SE la Première Dame du Burundi Angéline NDAYISHIMIYE partageant des repas scolaires à l’ECOFO de Muyange I au Burundi à l’occasion de la célébration de la Journée Africaine d’Alimentation Scolaire
Figure 4 : HE the First Lady of Burundi shares the hot lunch with the schoolchildren of the Primary School of FINGKANME in Benin
Photo 4: SE la Première Dame du Burundi partage le repas chaud de midi avec les écoliers de l’Ecole Primaire de FINGKANME au Bénin
Figure 5: Bags of dried mushrooms delivered to a school canteen in Burundi
Photo 5 : Sacs de champignons secs livrés dans une école à cantine scolaire au Burundi
Figure 7: HE the First Lady of Burundi Angéline NDAYISHIMIYE co-chairs a ministerial meeting with the Minister of State of Benin in charge of Government action Mr. Abdoulaye BIO TCHANE
Photo 7 : SE la Première Dame du Burundi Angéline NDAYISHIMIYE copréside une réunion ministérielle avec le Ministre d’Etat du Bénin Chargé de l’action du Gouvernement Monsieur Abdoulaye BIO TCHANE
Figure 6: Meeting between Her Excellency the First Lady, the Minister of Health and the Minister of Agriculture with private actors on school feeding
Photo 6 : Réunion entre SE Excellence la Première Dame, le Ministre de la Santé et celui de l’Agriculture avec les acteurs privés sur l’alimentation scolaire

Eleven Years of International School Meals Day

school meal program in Tunisia

Eleven Years of International School Meals Day

Children in Scotland manages International School Meals Day (ISMD) and in this guest blog, Head of Engagement & Learning, Simon Massey reflects on how the initiative has developed over the years.

I started working at Children in Scotland in 2015 and ISMD was already well-established as a partnership between Scotland and the US, with a wide range of organisations across the world, including the Global Child Nutrition Foundation, working hard to support the day. From the beginning the aim was to create a unique campaign that raised awareness of good nutrition for all children, and, thanks to ongoing Scottish Government funding, that continues today.

The initiative has changed and developed over the years but has held onto some core elements including:

Raising awareness of the importance of the nutritional quality of school meal programs worldwide
Promoting the connection between healthy eating, education, and better learning
Connecting children around the world to foster healthy eating habits and promote wellbeing in schools
Sharing success stories of school meal programs around the globe.
ISMD2023, which took place on 9 March 2023, was once again a success. This year’s theme was ‘Our changing food – methods, menus and meals’.

We saw an increase in the number of countries getting involved, from 47 in 2022 to 63 this year, while our potential online reach jumped from 3.3 million in 2022 to an amazing 10.4 million this year! Numbers downloading our online resources almost tripled in the past year and we had 579 different individuals or organisations contribute one way or another this year.

International School Meals Day Engagement Statistics Infographic

The ISMD website and Twitter provide a one-stop shop for people to explore the things that have been shared over the past few years. The website also has resources and activities that can be used in schools. Each year we try to do something new – the past two years, for example, have included an online ‘quilt’ that pulls together a wide range of images from each year’s ‘shared practice’, and this year for the first time, we produced a series of ‘Top 10’ activity sheets, encouraging children and young people to consider their local food, healthy options and favourite school meals.

 

Although ISMD2023 was only a few weeks ago, we’re already starting to think about what we’ll do for next year. There will still be a range of resources developed and we will come up with a new theme for the day, but we’re also really interested in developing an ISMD Commitment Mark… watch this space! 

 

If any of this inspires you to get involved, or you have any ideas for next year, please get in touch at ismd@childreninscotland.org.uk – we want to keep building on all our successes and continue to spread the word.

Headshot of Simon Massey, Head of Learning and Engagement at International School Meals Day
About the Author

Simon Massey | Head of Engagement & Learning


Simon is part of Children in Scotland’s Leadership Team and manages the Engagement & Learning Department, comprising the Communications & Marketing team, Learning & Events team and the Membership Service. He also coordinates Children in Scotland’s child protection activity.

He has a keen interest in equality and diversity, particularly LGBT+ issues and led the organisation through LGBT Youth Scotland’s LGBT Charter of Rights accreditation in 2018-19. He is also a member of the Social Work Cross-Party Group and SCVO’s Intermediaries Network.

Simon joined Children in Scotland in September 2015 and has 35 years’ experience working in the children’s sector in various roles including volunteer, front-line practitioner, manager and consultant.

He is a qualified social worker and has undertaken extensive child protection and post-abuse therapeutic social work as well as work in residential childcare settings. He is also a qualified practice teacher with experience of the social work education field and local authority workforce development.

Outside of Children in Scotland, Simon is the Chair of Bright Light, an Edinburgh-based charity providing relationship counselling services and he spends a large amount of time chasing his dog, Alfie, around

AgriPulse Opinion: Global school feeding programs

By Marshall Matz and Julia Johnson, OFW Law

International school feeding programs have long been recognized as an important investment in a child’s nutrition and health outcomes. Recently, the Global Child Nutrition Foundation (GNCF) set out to fill the need of documenting school feeding programs consistently and comprehensively through issuing the first of its kind Global Survey of School Meal Programs. They have just published findings from the survey in the new report “School Meals Around the World”, which provide necessary insight into the power of school meals in shaping the food and education system. The GCNF brings together governments, civil society, and the private sector to expand opportunities for children to receive adequate nutrition for learning and achieving their potential.

Teachers know all too well that hungry children do not learn effectively and that school meal programs are critical to satisfying this need. Beyond fulfilling daily health and nutrition needs, school meal programs incentivize regular school attendance, keep kids – particularly girls – in school for longer, promote literacy, and support agricultural supply chains, among other advantages.  Further, educating girls means that they get married later, have fewer children, and are upwardly mobile. 

The GCNF report found that nearly three-quarters of the programs served as a social safety net for families who could not afford to feed their children. A smaller percentage of programs aimed to meet agriculture goals or obesity prevention and mitigation outcomes. Dietary diversity increased when food was purchased closer to where the school meal program was located, with 82 percent of programs purchasing some or all school food in-country and 72 percent purchasing locally. In some instances, farmers were directly engaged in school meal operations. Programs can also play a significant role in women’s economic empowerment, with 67 percent of programs reporting a focus on creating jobs or leadership opportunities for women. 

Notably, the report finds that school meals have the potential to transform local food systems. Not only do they drive agricultural economic growth, but they also help shift food systems towards targeting the needs of children. Furthermore, schools serve as a food environment where healthy diets can be instilled. These findings are very timely given the upcoming U.N. Food Systems Summit (FSS) in September 2021. 

Input into the FSS is being guided by five action tracks, each charged with finding game-changing solutions to the world’s greatest food system challenges. In an interview conducted by GCNF Executive Director Arlene Mitchell on the report, Dr. Lawrence Haddad, Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition Executive Director and FSS action track 1 chair, said that school feeding has often been featured in the solutions space for the FSS. He says, “The education system and the food system are intricately linked, and they can be made more intricately linked in a positive way.” 

Given the advantages of school meals, the 2002 Farm Bill authorized the McGovern-Dole Food for Education program. The program, implemented by the Department of Agriculture (USDA), delivers U.S. agricultural commodities and financial and technical assistance to food-insecure countries to establish school feeding programs. According to the most recent USDA report, McGovern-Dole is currently reaching over 4.1 million people through 46 active projects in 30 countries. 

GCNF also issued a special report on school meal programs in the 41 countries that received McGovern-Dole food assistance between 2013 and 2018 and/or were eligible to receive support in the 2018-2019 fiscal year. From the McGovern-Dole report findings, GCNF developed a series of recommendations for the U.S. government and implementing partners to increase program sustainability and therefore, as Dr. Haddad puts it, tie the food and education system together in a more meaningful way. These recommendations include increasing national government engagement, supporting fortified food supply chain development, increased monitoring and evaluation around gender, and formalizing job opportunities that support McGovern-Dole implementation.

COVID-19 has disrupted school meal programs, helping to drive unprecedented levels of hunger in modern history. According to the World Food Programme (WFP), 370 million children have missed school meals due to COVID-19 related closures. Today, WFP estimates that 73 million primary school-aged children need school meals. Despite challenges, many schools have been able to pivot their programming by, for example, providing take-home rations. The reports from GCNF are a critical tool for those in the school feeding community and beyond to share knowledge, identify trends, strengths, and weaknesses in school feeding, and advocate for school meal programs, especially as a pathway to recovery and sustainable economic growth.

The GCNF is conducting their 2021 Global Survey of School Meal Programs which will aim to capture the full impact of COVID-19 of the pandemic for at least one full school year.  For more information, please visit www.gcnf.org.

Marshall Matz specializes in global food security at OFW Law in Washington, D.C.  mmatz@ofwlaw.com  Julia Johnson is an Agricultural Legislative Assistant at OFW Law.  jjohnson@ofwlaw.com 

Read the full article at AgriPulse.

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Devex: More kids fed when school meals are national budget item, report finds

Including school meal programs as a line item in national budgets can help larger numbers of children get fed, according to a new report from the Global Child Nutrition Foundation.

The report found a correlation between the line items and number of children served. Sixty-six of the 83 countries surveyed include a line item for school meal programs in their national budgets, 65% of which were low-income.

 In countries without a line item, only 15% of primary and secondary school-age children were fed at school. In countries that did include the programs as a line item, 25% of children received meals at school.

Arlene Mitchell, executive director at GCNF, said levels of funding for school meal programs coming directly from governments can vary widely because the World Food Programme and NGOs often fund and implement them in low-income countries. Transitioning these programs to government control and national funding poses challenges, she said, particularly with budgeting.

The largest international school meal program effort, the U.S. McGovern-Dole Food for Education Program, funds U.S.-based NGOs. It does not provide money directly to governments.

“It makes it challenging, but nonetheless important, for the nonprofits to work with national governments where they’re implementing the programs to help them figure out a way to take over,” Mitchell said. “It is difficult, though, to go from being entirely externally funded to being totally nationally funded.”

Read the full article on Devex.

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CCGA: School Feeding: A Path to Recovery and a Better Future

Children,Having,Lunch,In,Asian,School,Sitting,On,The,Floor

On a mission to fill an information void, in 2019 the Global Child Nutrition Foundation (GCNF) conducted a Global Survey of School Meal Programs©. We learned a great deal from that survey as can be seen in the new report School Meal Programs Around the World The COVID-19 pandemic has added tough lessons for school meal programs, however, and heightened the urgency for understanding and investing in these programs.

School meal programs have existed for decades—for more than a century in some countries. Yet they have not been documented in a consistent and comprehensive manner, making it hard to compare programs, determine successes and challenges, or identify trends, needs and opportunities. The GCNF survey, funded in part by the US Department of Agriculture, begins to fill this void, and plans to update the information every two to three years, with the second round to start this July.

The 2019 survey drew responses from 103 countries, representing 78 percent of the world’s population. Of those, 85 reported about one or more large-scale school meal program serving 297.3 million children between ages five and eighteen. All the countries reported focusing on primary schools, and two thirds reported also targeting pre-school children. Just under half (47 percent) said they targeted secondary school students.

School meal programs are a vital social safety net.

Almost three quarters of countries responding to our survey said that their programs were a social safety net, offsetting household costs for families of poor or vulnerable children. The alarming increase in out-of-school children and rising child hunger due to the COVID-19 pandemic has emphasized the need for such safety nets to expand as the entire food supply chain has been affected by the health crisis and many schools remain closed or unable to provide food.

Programs have responded innovatively by engaging different partners like food banks, restaurants, and churches and pivoting to different distribution methods such as pick-up, home delivery, or electronic vouchers. But programs will need to shift again to effectively bring children back to schools when it is safe, and it is critical that governments safeguard their school feeding budgets and ensure programs are part of pandemic recovery plans. One of the best-documented benefits of school meal programs is that they incentivize school attendance; and help children to focus on their lessons and learn.

The impact of school meals can be even greater for adolescent girls—especially in light of a predicted increase in rates of child marriage and teenage pregnancy around the world. Well-nourished girls achieve better learning outcomes, delay marriage and early pregnancy, and have the opportunity to advance their lives. Yet the survey found that only 47 percent of programs targeted secondary school students and regions with the lowest levels of secondary school feeding programs are where early marriage and pregnancy rates are the highest.

The survey shows that many countries are investing heavily in school meal programs, yet coverage is weakest precisely where the need is greatest. While financing remains a challenge in many countries, it is clear that programs were most successful when funding is earmarked in national budgets. Those investments are well justified, as school meal programs bring several pillars of development together under one umbrella. I used to think about school feeding as a trifecta, with wins for education, health and nutrition, and agriculture. The survey has given a more holistic picture of a spectrum of benefits and shown that school meal programs are actually better than a trifecta, by also driving inclusive economic growth.

Children,Having,Lunch,In,Asian,School,Sitting,On,The,Floor

 

School meal programs support producers and helps build resilient supply chains.

The survey found that these programs constitute significant institutional demand for safe and nutritious food. This supports producers, encourages production of healthier foods for children, and helps to build resilient supply chains. Harnessing this buying power could have a powerful and positive effect on both national and global food systems.

That’s not all: School meal programs create jobs and encourage private sector development. The survey noted over 4,000,000 jobs linked to school meal activities in the 53 countries that were able to provide some job-related data. Nigeria reported 107,000 cooks and food preparers; Burkina Faso, a low-income country that prioritizes school feeding reported 19,980 cooks and food preparers; and some 2.6 million paid “cooks cum helpers” were involved in India’s massive school meal program. Furthermore, school meal programs provide countries with an avenue to improve economic opportunities for women: Nearly all countries reported that between 75 and 100 percent of their school cooks are women. Unfortunately, 31 percent of programs said that very few or none of their school cooks were paid for their work.

In the wise words of GCNF’s co-founder Gene White, “[p]owerful things happen when parents, educators, community organizers, local businesses, and government officials within a school system share a common vision for healthy children. Yes, a child’s prospects are changed, but it is far more than that. Local farmers work with purpose knowing there’s a ready market for their goods. Jobs are created to distribute and produce food. Local economies grow stronger as children grow up to be healthy, productive citizens who can access and create opportunities. When systems work together in this manner, school nutrition programs are sustainable and scalable. Societies develop in which hunger is not a barrier to children’s learning and local economies thrive.”

The pandemic wreaked havoc on school systems and disrupted school meal programs around the world. At the peak of school closures in April 2020, 1.5 billion children were out of school, and 370 million children were not receiving the school meals they depend on. Program implementers worked desperately to adjust their programs to safely serve the most vulnerable despite the closure of schools, borders, travel and transport options, and most businesses. Funding for school meals was also taxed, as governments and donors alike focused their resources on health care, safety measures, and finding a cure. The 2021 Global Survey of School Meal Programs © will begin this July and aims to capture the impact of the pandemic for at least one full school year. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is critical that we invest more than ever in school meal programs as a path to recovery and toward a better future. Much better than a trifecta, no?

Read the full article on the Chicago Council on Global Affairs’ Global Food for Thought blog.

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