Underprivileged children are fed
Nutrition programmes have been implemented by government in schools located in poor and rural areas.
One of the local schools, Laerskool PAM Brink, is one of those where approximately 120 children are fed every day during school terms.
This government initiative is aimed at identifying learners who come from disadvantaged backgrounds and feeding them daily, in order to enhance learning capacity.
However, in developed areas, towns and suburbs, only learners from poor backgrounds, who are identified by the schools receive nutrition.
Springs resident Kate Beukes is the driving force behind the feeding scheme at Laerskool PAM Brink.
Several others assist her in preparing the food they receive from government once a month.
This delivery includes 50kgs of dry soya, sugar beans, samp, rice, mealie meal, instant porridge and four to six litres of cooking oil.
Kate says families chose to take home parcels made up of these products, but they had to stop this as some of the parents were selling the products.
The children are now given breakfast and a cooked meal twice a day.
Apart from the dry products the schools receive as part of the nutrition programme, they also receive fresh vegetables, including cabbage, butter nuts, carrots, onions and apples monthly, from an outside sponsor.
Kate says they also receive a monthly meat donation from a good Samaritan.
With the donations they receive they prepare interesting meals for the children, including sugar beans with soup, curry and rice, samp and meat, or mealie meal and meat.
Gauteng Education Department (GDE) spokesman Phumla Sekhonyane says all schools in poor areas automatically qualify to be in the programme.
However, in the former Model C schools, learners are identified by the school.
The criteria used is the non-affordability of learners to pay school fees or carry a lunch box.
