• 5+1 unions win urgency bid October 29, 2025
    Court of Appeal rules in the union’s favour for their case to be heard under certificate of urgency   KITSO RAMONO RelatedPosts 5+1 unions win urgency bid  Which way BPF? Pageantry: A peep behind the scenes editors@thepatriot.co.bw Botswana’s main public… Read more: 5+1 unions win urgency bid 
  • Which way BPF?October 29, 2025
    Ookeditse plots the party’s return to UDC – Reatilegoes the other way KITSO RAMONO RelatedPosts 5+1 unions win urgency bid  Which way BPF? Pageantry: A peep behind the scenes editors@thepatriot.co.bw   As the Botswana Patriotic Front (BPF) heads to… Read more: Which way BPF?
  • Pageantry: A peep behind the scenesOctober 27, 2025
    Pageantry: A peep behind the scenes ‘People see the glam, but behind closed doors we battle with a lot’   RelatedPosts 5+1 unions win urgency bid  Which way BPF? Pageantry: A peep behind the scenes AMANDA DAVID editors@thepatriot.co.bw  … Read more: Pageantry: A peep behind the scenes
  • Absa Bank Botswana recognised as a Top Employer 2025 in AfricaOctober 27, 2025
    STAFF WRITER editors@thepatriot.co.bw  RelatedPosts 5+1 unions win urgency bid  Which way BPF? Pageantry: A peep behind the scenes Absa Bank Botswana is proud to announce its recognition as a Top Employer 2025 by the Top Employers Institute, marking the… Read more: Absa Bank Botswana recognised as a Top Employer 2025 in Africa
  • Bunning upbeat on TatakiOctober 27, 2025
    Tataki Mining executives hit the ground running Forecast to create around 3000 jobs at full production   STAFF WRITER RelatedPosts 5+1 unions win urgency bid  Which way BPF? Pageantry: A peep behind the scenes editors@thepatriot.co.bw   Richard Bunning, the… Read more: Bunning upbeat on Tataki
  • Home
  • News
  • Business
  • Lifestyle
  • Sport
  • Analysis & Opinions
  • Vacancies & Tenders
  • Login
  • Register
Wednesday, October 29, 2025
The Patriot On Sunday
Advertisement
  • Home
  • News
  • Business
  • Lifestyle
  • Sport
  • Analysis & Opinions
  • Vacancies & Tenders
No Result
View All Result
Cart / $0.00

No products in the cart.

  • Home
  • News
  • Business
  • Lifestyle
  • Sport
  • Analysis & Opinions
  • Vacancies & Tenders
No Result
View All Result
The Patriot On Sunday
No Result
View All Result

Primary schools enjoy English breakfast

patriot by patriot
January 3, 2021
in News
0

Euphoria engulfed schools around the country when Government upgraded the primary school feeding programme by adding new components to the menu including eggs, fruits and vegetables in the 2018/19 financial year. Elsewhere in political circles the announcement by Government was dismissed as an unsustainable political gimmick by the incoming administration. Head of Communications in the Ministry of Local Government & Rural Development (MLGRD), Masego Ramakgati, tells The Patriot on Sunday that the programme is benefitting almost 400 000 pupils in 755 primary schools around the country.

The Patriot: Have you rolled out the plan in all pre and primary schools throughout the country?

RelatedPosts

5+1 unions win urgency bid 

Which way BPF?

With State of Emergency, Still … No medicines!

RESPONSE The menu has been shared with all local authorities and all primary schools.  To date implementation has started countrywide.

The Patriot: How many schools and pupils are currently benefitting from this programme?

RESPONSE: All government primary schools in Botswana i.e 364108 pupils in 755 primary schools including pre-school pupils.

The Patriot: Kindly elaborate/explain how the programme, through its menu, will “provides nutrients to promote optimal health, growth and development”

RESPONSE: In the old menu, which Government is slowly phasing out, only foods containing macronutrients such as water, carbohydrates, oils and protein were provided and this was not enough for the body to attain other energy-providing nutrients which provide growth, repair and development of new body tissues. In the revised menu nutrients known as micronutrients have been added which include minerals and vitamins to promote optimal growth and development. So the combination of macronutrients and micronutrients are important for the normal functioning of the body.

The Patriot: Any challenges in the rollout?

RESPONSE:  The Ministry currently experiences insufficient supply of UHT milk to cater for breakfast meal due to banned importation of raw milk from South Africa following outbreak of Foot and Mouth disease. Milk is critical in this endeavor as it is required in tea and soft porridge.

Part of the benefit of this programme is to “economically empower and capacitate Batswana to promote micro and small scale entrepreneurship”.

The Patriot: How many such entrepreneurs have been engaged thus far?

RESPONSE: The Ministry is yet to compute and finalize the total number of the entrepreneurs engaged countrywide.

The Patriot: What is the total monthly cost of the programme?

RESPONSE: Government provides the following food stuffs: milk, sorghum, bread butter/jam, fruits and eggs, to 368298 pupils in all primary schools.  The estimate cost per month amounts to P12,163,587 and of course this is an estimate based on the current prices.

The Patriot: How many jobs have been created at inception of the programme? How many of those are for the a) youth and b) women?

RESPONSE: The Ministry is yet to compute the total number of youth and women once the procurement process has been completed across all the Local Authorities.

Media reports have in the past revealed that contracts which government had intended to promote local small scale entrepreneurs were hijacked by established businessmen from elsewhere in collusion with some officers.

The Patriot: What are you doing to ensure that as much as practically possible local communities benefit from this initiative?

RESPONSE: Procurement of these food items is carried out at the local level and not centrally. Naturally the tenders will target locals in line with Local Economic Development (LED) and Economic Diversification Drive (EDD).

The Patriot: There is speculation that, coming in an election year, this programme is a political gimmick intended to deceive citizens/ potential voters. Kindly comment on the observation.

RESPONSE:  The revised menu was approved by Government in 2013/14 financial year.  New components in the menu have gradually been introduced such as: eggs, fruits and vegetables, which the Ministry started to provide in 2018/19 financial year. There are other components that are yet to be introduced but because of limited budget, they remain deferred. 

The introduction of breakfast is solely meant to ensure that the gaps which exist between the secondary schools and primary schools meals are closed. The menu is also intended to address issues of micro nutrients which the old menu did not provide as indicated above.  Funds permitting other components will gradually be introduced in this plan period.

The Patriot: How sustainable is the feeding programme, looking  at the cost implications.

RESPONSE: It is Government’s intention and commitment to make this Programme sustainable.

Tags: PRIMARYSchools
Previous Post

Ngoma joins AP

Next Post

BNF, BCP unite in North West

Related Posts

5+1 unions win urgency bid 
News

5+1 unions win urgency bid 

October 29, 2025
Which way BPF?
News

Which way BPF?

October 29, 2025
With State of Emergency, Still … No medicines!
News

With State of Emergency, Still … No medicines!

October 27, 2025
Boko, UDC oligarchs clash over Cabinet
News

Boko, UDC oligarchs clash over Cabinet

October 27, 2025
UDC hits & misses
News

UDC hits & misses

October 22, 2025
Britain’s VISA Revenge
News

Britain’s VISA Revenge

October 20, 2025
Next Post
BNF, BCP unite in North West

BNF, BCP unite in North West

Please login to join discussion
  • 5+1 unions win urgency bid October 29, 2025
    Court of Appeal rules in the union’s favour for their case to be heard under certificate of urgency   KITSO RAMONO RelatedPosts 5+1 unions win urgency bid  Which way BPF? Pageantry: A peep behind the scenes editors@thepatriot.co.bw Botswana’s main public… Read more: 5+1 unions win urgency bid 
  • Which way BPF?October 29, 2025
    Ookeditse plots the party’s return to UDC – Reatilegoes the other way KITSO RAMONO RelatedPosts 5+1 unions win urgency bid  Which way BPF? Pageantry: A peep behind the scenes editors@thepatriot.co.bw   As the Botswana Patriotic Front (BPF) heads to… Read more: Which way BPF?
  • Pageantry: A peep behind the scenesOctober 27, 2025
    Pageantry: A peep behind the scenes ‘People see the glam, but behind closed doors we battle with a lot’   RelatedPosts 5+1 unions win urgency bid  Which way BPF? Pageantry: A peep behind the scenes AMANDA DAVID editors@thepatriot.co.bw  … Read more: Pageantry: A peep behind the scenes
  • Absa Bank Botswana recognised as a Top Employer 2025 in AfricaOctober 27, 2025
    STAFF WRITER editors@thepatriot.co.bw  RelatedPosts 5+1 unions win urgency bid  Which way BPF? Pageantry: A peep behind the scenes Absa Bank Botswana is proud to announce its recognition as a Top Employer 2025 by the Top Employers Institute, marking the… Read more: Absa Bank Botswana recognised as a Top Employer 2025 in Africa
  • Bunning upbeat on TatakiOctober 27, 2025
    Tataki Mining executives hit the ground running Forecast to create around 3000 jobs at full production   STAFF WRITER RelatedPosts 5+1 unions win urgency bid  Which way BPF? Pageantry: A peep behind the scenes editors@thepatriot.co.bw   Richard Bunning, the… Read more: Bunning upbeat on Tataki
The Patriot On Sunday

© 2024 Copyright The Patriot On Sunday - Inspired by Search Mart.

Navigate Site

  • About Us
  • Advertise
  • Disclaimer
  • Contact Us

Follow Us

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Fill the forms bellow to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Login
  • Sign Up
  • Cart
  • Home
  • News
  • Business
  • Lifestyle
  • Sport
  • Analysis & Opinions
  • Vacancies & Tenders

© 2024 Copyright The Patriot On Sunday - Inspired by Search Mart.

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.
Are you sure want to unlock this post?
Unlock left : 0
Are you sure want to cancel subscription?