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Masaka Diocese Begins Schools Milk Feeding Program

Milk has been a cornerstone of school nutrition programs for well over a century in some countries. It plays a vital role in providing essential nutrients to students.
A milk vendor loaded with milk cans

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The Catholic Church in Masaka diocese has initiated a school feeding program that adds milk to the students' menu. The move is part of the efforts initiatives to improve the learner's health through nutrition.

This initiative will be in 15 selected schools. It is to be implemented through the Masaka Diocesan Development Organization-MADDO Dairies- a farming investment cooperation of the diocese.

Monsignor Doctor Dominic Ssengooba, the Diocesan Vicar General on Friday said they are looking forward to improving children’s health, by boosting their nutrition while at school. He hopes with good health, the learners will perform better.

Ssengooba said the diocese has since 1993 been distributing improved breeds of dairy cows to families as a way of boosting household incomes and the beneficiaries have developed the capacity to supply the schools with the milk.

Revered Father Peter Ssenkaayi, the Executive Director of MADDO Dairies revealed that they have entered into partnerships with the schools' administrators to implement the program which will have each learner consume a liter of milk or yogurt per week. Each learner is expected to pay 12,000 shillings per term towards the program. 

Father Ssenkanyi indicates that the parents in the selected schools are embracing the program which he says will now expand to at least 30 schools by the next term.

  //Cue in: “kubanga tukizudde….

  Cue out: ….okugenda mu maaso.”//

Agnes Audex Baguma, Director of Technical Services at the Dairy Development Authority-DDAnoted that the campaign will increase the country’s milk consumption rates, which will have a positive bearing on the health of the Ugandans.

She however challenged MADDO Dairies to strictly enforce the quality of milk in their supply value chain, to ensure that children get the right nutrients all through.

John Paul Kagombe, the Director of Mugwanya Complex Primary School in Masaka City, one of the schools where the program has started observes that they have convinced the parents of the associated benefits and that he was optimistic that it will be widely embraced.

In 2022, the Ministry of Education and Sports made attempts to enforce the compulsory milk feed program in schools, but it failed to take off due to widespread criticism by different sections of people, who expressed reservations on the methodology of implementation, the supply chain, and the cost implications.

The program emanates from the 2012 school feeding and nutrition guidelines which the Ministry designed to improve child health, nutrition, and educational performance.   

Milk has been a cornerstone of school nutrition programs for well over a century in some countries. It plays a vital role in providing essential nutrients to students                        

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