School-community nutrition learning, management and sustainability: the case of the school health and nutrition program in selected schools of Lufwanyama district.
Date
2022-06-20
Authors
Siame, Darius
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Publisher
The University of Zambia
Abstract
This descriptive research design study documented and established the influence of the School Health and Nutrition (SHN) program on the nutritional practices of the schools and the surrounding communities. Both probability and non-probability sampling techniques were used to collect data which was analyzed using both quantitative and qualitative techniques. The study has revealed that school-community learning from the SHN program has only minimally taken place but has led to some notable improvement in nutritional practices in communities. The study has shown that school-going children are slightly more knowledgeable on SHN matters than the parents and that better hygiene and nutritional practices were more practised at school than at home. The study has revealed that School SHN coordinators manage the day to day running of the program but have no real decision- making power which is the preserve of the head teachers. It was also revealed that there is very little collaboration between school management and the communities in the implementation and management of SHN. The study has further revealed that most schools do not have any meaningful ways of sustaining SHN. The study recommends, therefore, that the Ministry of General Education should revise the SHN policy to enhance nutritional learning in practical terms. Schools should involve nutritionists in conducting needs assessment in schools and come up with programs that can be carried side by side with program like SHN so as to improve health and nutrition and well-being of pupils in and outside schools. The MoE and MoH should make it mandatory or encourage for parents to get involved in nutrition learning and practice by making sure that they are not left out on decision making and planning. The MoGE should enlarge and twin SHN implementation to Production Unit programs including gardening, citrus fruit production, growing of maize in the school farm, teaching learners on improved food production methods and agricultural entrepreneurship skills, demonstration of sustainable agricultural methods like crop rotation and conservation agriculture should be sustainable.
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Thesis
Keywords
Children--Nutrition--Zambia--Congresses. , Nutrition policy--Zambia--Congresses. , Malnutrition in children--Zambia. , Children--Nutrition--Zambia. , Demographic surveys--Zambia.