Parents in Kpenaateng raise concerns over children's increased consumption of energy drinks after school feeding programme halted

Parents in Kpenaateng, a farming community in the Wa West District of the Upper West Region, are concerned over what they describe as a worrying rise in the consumption of energy drinks and sugary beverages by schoolchildren.

The concern follows the suspension of the Ghana School Feeding Programme (GSFP) at Gbaalwob Basic School in 2024. According to Mr Dobomo Peter, a concerned parent who spoke to Info Radio, the absence of the program has left many pupils hungry during school hours, forcing them to turn to energy drinks sold in local shops.

“Children now rely on energy drinks to deal with hunger while at school. The feeding programme used to provide at least one nutritious meal a day, which helped them focus and stay healthy. But since its halt, things have changed,” Mr. Peter lamented.

He further explained that the school feeding initiative had been instrumental in improving school attendance, classroom concentration, and overall child nutrition in the community. Its abrupt discontinuation, he said, has created a nutritional gap that is now being filled with unhealthy alternatives.

Local shopkeepers have reportedly begun selling energy and sugary drinks in increasing quantities to students, with little to no restriction.

“These sellers see a business opportunity. But the children’s health is suffering, and we parents feel helpless,” Mr. Peter added.

The Ghana School Feeding Programme, introduced in 2005, is a government initiative aimed at providing one hot, nutritious meal per day to children in public basic schools and kindergartens.

Its goals include improving school enrollment, attendance, retention, and the nutritional status of children, while also supporting local farmers through the purchase of locally produced food.

Mr Peter and other community members are now calling on the government, development partners, and education authorities to urgently reinstate the program in Gbaalwob Basic School.

They argue that doing so will not only curb the rise in unhealthy dietary habits among pupils but also restore the vital support that helps their children thrive academically.