Biire School Feeding Program
Unicef, the UN agency for children reported in June 2024 that around 11 million Nigerian
children were experiencing severe child food poverty.
Globally 181 million children under the age of five are considered to be facing severe child
food poverty. Nigeria ranks among the 20 countries that account for 65% – almost two-
thirds of these children.
School Feeding Program Duration
Execution
The school feeding program duration was 4 years and over 6,000 (six thousand) children where giving nutritious meals daily. The outcome was impressive as the percentage of children who enrolled in school increased, the percentage of absentees reduced. Children added weight and looked happier.
Nigerian children suffer from the effects of malnutrition than the global average
Nigeria has the second highest burden of stunted children in the world, with a national
prevalence rate of 32 percent of children under five.
The regular periodically soaring petrol prices has also contributed to increase in
transportation cost and food prices which are putting nutritious meals beyond the reach of
households in Nigeria. According to the UN, children need food at the right time to develop
to their full potential. Lack of access to adequate food nutrients when they are not
affordable will put many children’s lives at risk. Insufficient nutrients, which include energy,
protein, and essential vitamins and minerals, when they are deficient, will lead to
malnutrition.
To mitigate this trend, Biire’s lunched it’s school and community feeding program in 2010,
providing hot meals to schools and communities in hard to reach areas. This school feeding
program increased school enrolment, increased attendant rates as well as improved
examination results among pupils. In addition, the nutritional value of the school meals
impacts the overall health status of the pupils and their families positively.
- Our School feeding Programs is to enhance food security and reduce hunger in line with the
UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on hunger, poverty and malnutrition
(i) Biire’s objectives of the Programme are to contribute to:
Increase school enrolment, attendance and retention
Reduce short-term hunger and malnutrition amongst primary school children
Boost domestic food production
(ii) The long-term objectives of the programme are to contribute to:
Poverty reduction
Improving food security
Improving overall health of the household.
School Feeding Program
School feeding program has been said to be a tool to combat child hunger. This concept is
gaining popularity around the world due to impact on the children, families and
communities.
Experience shows that properly designed and effective SPF can alleviate short -term hunger
in malnourished or otherwise well nourished school children. This helps to increase the
attention and concentration of students. Parents are also motivated to enroll their children
in school and ensure regulare attendance, this in turn will reduce abstenteeism and
increase duration of educational outcomes
Biire implemented an impactful school feeding program in partnership with Sahara
Foundation from 2011 -2016. This project was designed to reduce malnutrition amongst
primary school students in hard to reach areas through regular school feeding. The
outcomes was to improve the health and nutrition status as well as educational status of
deprived children.
This project had a 5 year duration timeline and over 960 children were given nutritious
meals 3 days a week for a period 2 years in FCT and 3 years in Lagos. The outcome was
impressive as the percentage of children who enrolled in school increased on an average by
30- 50% percent, the percentage of absentees reducedby 80%. While shrinking children
added weight and looked healthier at the end of the project.
New Program
Due to donor fatique and lack of funding, we had to stop this program in 2020 during
COVID. However, so as to fill the nutritional gap as a result of increasing poverty and
hardship in the country which is mainly affecting the poorest of the poor we are stating a
new nutrition project called of “ BiiRE APPLE A DAY” project. This project’s goal is to
provide nutrition support and improve the overall health of school children living in hard to
reach areas who are affected by food insecurity.
WHY APPLE?
Apples are the most grown fruits globally and has been consistently encouraged for
consumtion due to the abundance of nutrients and bio active compound found in them.
Apples are rich sources of selected micronutrients and polyphenols that can help in
mitigating micronutrients deficiencies(MND) and prevention of chronic disease. It is often
said ‘ An apple a day, keeps the doctor away” due to the numerous health benefits which
are essentials in keeping people healthy and fight back illness. The following are the nutrints
found in apples.
– Dietary Fibre
– Anti- inflammatory phytonutrients
– Vitamin C which boosts the immune system and helps fight infection.
– B vitamins riboflavin, thiamine and B6, which supports healthy blood, eyes, skin, and
the nervous system
– Minerals such as calcium, potassium and phosphotous
Scientific studies have shown that apples can aid. Gut health, support weight loss, fights
cold, lower inflammation , fight infection, protect against heart disease etc hence the value
of apple cannot be over emphasized.
Implementation
With your help and support, Biire will sources for highly nutritious and good quality apples
and distribute everyday to selected schools and children who depend on it for their daily
nutrition. For some children, this may be their primary source of nutrition they need to
thrive academically and physically.