The Education Minister Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum has on behalf of the government signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Confectionery Ghana Limited.
The MoU was signed on Tuesday, April 19, 20022 for the distribution of cocoa beverages to basic school pupils in public in some selected communities across the country.
The Minister in a Facebook post disclosed that the MoU is in fulfillment of President Akufo-Addo’s pledge to ensure that children of school-going age have access to a cocoa beverage.
He added that special attention would be given to children in cocoa growing area
He wrote “the nutrition of every child in school remains one of our priorities at the Ministry of Education.
This is why I was happy to sign an MOU between Niche Confectionery Ghana Limited and the Ministry of Education today, 19th April 2022.
The MOU will allow Niche Confectionery Ghana Limited, to distribute chocolate beverages to primary school children in selected public schools across the country, with preference given to cocoa growing communities.
This partnership will help make President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s vision of ensuring that every child has access to a cocoa beverage a reality.”
Background
President Akufo-Addo in 2017 promised to provide free chocolate daily to every school going child from basic to the secondary level.
He explained that the move will seek to boost and promote the consumption of cocoa products.
He said students from basic to secondary level in Ghanaian schools would be given free chocolate bar or cocoa drinks under the school-feeding programme.
“…[our] target is to provide every Ghanaian student with a bar of chocolate or cocoa beverage each day whilst in school,” he said at his year’s World Cocoa Day celebration in Kumasi which coincided with the 70th anniversary celebration of the establishment of the Ghana Cocoa Board.
“It is for this reason that the Ministry of Agriculture through COCOBOD, the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection through the school feeding programme, and the Ministry of Education through the Ghana Education Service, are to ensure the sustained provision of cocoa beverages and chocolates to school children from primary school to secondary level.”
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
