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Teachers Strike Threatens School Feeding Stocks Women Livelihoods Minister

The Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Dr Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, has warned that the ongoing teachers’ strike risks spoiling perishable food stocks procured by caterers under the Ghana School Feeding Programme. She said thousands of caterers had already stocked rice, oil, vegetables and protein for the third term of the 2025/2026 academic year before schools shut down.

Speaking on GHOne TV and monitored by EIB Network, the Minister explained that the closure of public basic schools due to the strike has left caterers stranded with food items that have short shelf life. She noted that the government increased the feeding grant from GH¢1.50 to GH¢2.00 and expanded coverage to 4,527,636 pupils daily, making any waste a huge financial loss to both state and private caterers.

According to Dr Naa Momo Lartey, more than 20,171 caterers and head cooks trained in 2026 under practical nutrition standards are now at risk of losing their capital. Many of the caterers, who are predominantly women, pre-financed their supplies with loans and have no storage facilities for perishable items if schools remain closed beyond one week.

The Minister stressed that beyond food spoilage, the strike endangers the livelihoods of thousands of women who depend on the School Feeding Programme as their primary source of income. She added that the programme, which now has a GH¢1.98 billion allocation for 2026, also supports local farmers and market women in the food value chain, and any prolonged disruption could affect household incomes in deprived districts.

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The Gender Ministry has appealed to teacher unions and the Ministry of Education to return to the negotiation table to protect gains made in child nutrition and school retention. Dr Lartey noted that the programme has helped increase enrollment from 4.03 million pupils in 2024 to 4.53 million in 2026, and a prolonged strike could reverse that progress.

Parents and school authorities in Ho, Volta Region and across Ghana have also expressed worry that children who depend on the one hot meal per day may face hunger as the strike continues. http://Howedey.com will monitor negotiations between government and teacher unions and bring updates on measures to protect caterers and pupils.

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Author: Stella Sunu • Published on http://Howedey.com

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