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A delegation from S\u00e3o Tom\u00e9 and Pr\u00edncipe concludes a field visit to Bras\u00edlia on Friday, 9 August, to gain first-hand insights into Brazil\u2019s National School Feeding Programme (PNAE).<\/em><\/p>\nA delegation from S\u00e3o Tom\u00e9 and Pr\u00edncipe concludes a field visit to Bras\u00edlia this Friday, August 9, to learn firsthand about the Brazilian National School Feeding Program (PNAE).<\/p>\n
This visit was part of an experience-sharing process with Brazil organised by the World Food Programme\u2019s (WFP) Centre of Excellence Against Hunger, in partnership with the Brazilian Agency for Cooperation (ABC) and the National Fund for Educational Development (FNDE). The delegation included the Minister of Education, Culture, and Science of S\u00e3o Tom\u00e9 and Pr\u00edncipe, Mrs Isabel Maria Correia Viegas de Abreu, and the Coordinator of the National School Feeding and Health Programme (PNASE), Mr Emanuel Mont\u00f3ia Gon\u00e7alves Afonso. Also participating was the WFP Country Office Programme and Policy Officer and Representative in S\u00e3o Tom\u00e9 and Pr\u00edncipe, Leon Victor Mushumba.<\/p>\n
Drawing from the success of the Brazilian programme, the S\u00e3o Tom\u00e9 and Pr\u00edncipe delegation aimed to explore the link between school feeding and improvements in student enrolment rates and overall performance, as well as to learn about Brazilian best practices connecting PNAE with family farming and the use of local products. The delegation also attended lectures on programme financing.<\/p>\n
During the visit, the delegation explored the Association of Family Farmers of the Eco Community of Settlement 15 de Agosto (AFECA), an agroecological farm that supplies products to schools in the Federal District. They observed organic vegetable and fruit crops and discussed planting challenges with the farmers. They also visited the rural school EC Aguilhada, located in S\u00e3o Sebasti\u00e3o \u2013 DF, to observe the children\u2019s lunch and see the PNAE in action at schools.<\/p>\n On the third day of their visit, the delegation went to CED 01 school in Guar\u00e1 \u2013 DF, where they sampled the food served to students, spoke with the kitchen staff and nutritionist, and visited the food storage facility adjacent to the kitchen. The same day, they toured the PNAE warehouse, which stores food used for school feeding in the Federal District.<\/p>\n Since 1976, S\u00e3o Tom\u00e9 and Pr\u00edncipe\u2019s school feeding programme has been implemented and refined with WFP support, and has been financed and managed by the S\u00e3o Tom\u00e9 and Pr\u00edncipe government since the establishment of the National School Feeding and Health Programme (PNASE) in 2011.<\/p>\n \u201cThe WFP in S\u00e3o Tom\u00e9 and Pr\u00edncipe is primarily engaged in what we call capacity strengthening with the government to help it implement its school feeding programme. The WFP is providing technical assistance, but is also working with farmers and the Ministry of Agriculture to increase local production and resilience,\u201d said Leon Victor Mushumba, WFP Programme and Policy Officer and Country Office Representative in S\u00e3o Tom\u00e9 and Pr\u00edncipe.<\/p>\n On average, the programme provides approximately 8 million meals annually, benefiting pre-school and primary school students, with one of its main goals being to ensure that the food is based largely on local products, making them more accessible to the population.<\/p>\n Minister Isabel Maria Correia of S\u00e3o Tom\u00e9 and Pr\u00edncipe stated that she also benefited from the school feeding programme as a student. \u201cThe food was provided solely by the WFP, which supplied foodstuffs to all schools in S\u00e3o Tom\u00e9 and Pr\u00edncipe. Today, we have mandatory school feeding aimed at improving the food security of children under the responsibility of the S\u00e3o Tom\u00e9 and Pr\u00edncipe state,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Another significant challenge faced by the country is the training of qualified professionals for the PNASE, such as nutritionists. According to Daniel Balaban, Director of the WFP Centre of Excellence Against Hunger in Brazil, this is a common request from various countries, including S\u00e3o Tom\u00e9 and Pr\u00edncipe.<\/p>\n \u201cFew countries have trained nutritionists for school feeding programmes. They want to develop menus, but often lack qualified professionals,\u201d Daniel noted.<\/p>\n Focusing on solutions to this issue, the delegation attended a meeting at the Ministry of Education to discuss the training of nutritionists for young people and adults, technical and vocational education, and inclusive education.<\/p>\n Workshops and Technical Meetings<\/strong><\/p>\n In the early days of their visit, the delegation also participated in various workshops and technical meetings, beginning with presentations on the state of school feeding in S\u00e3o Tom\u00e9 and Pr\u00edncipe and Brazil, the work of the Centre of Excellence, and the WFP\u2019s activities in S\u00e3o Tom\u00e9 and Pr\u00edncipe.<\/p>\n The FNDE presented data on the PNAE\u2019s operations, provided a step-by-step guide on programme monitoring and evaluation, and conducted a workshop on menu planning. Additionally, the delegation met with the FNDE\u2019s Budget and Financial Management Coordination for School Feeding to discuss the history of PNAE\u2019s budget management and challenges faced in ensuring programme sustainability.<\/p>\n The team also met with FNDE President Fernanda Pacobahyba to discuss areas where Brazil could support technology transfer, such as sustainable management of school kitchens, implementing aquaculture projects to include tilapia in school menus, and accessing best practices for seed banks for growing food for school meals.<\/p>\n The fourth day began with a visit to IFB Bras\u00edlia and continued with a meeting at the National Institute for Educational Studies and Research An\u00edsio Teixeira (INEP). Topics covered included the school census, data collection on basic education, statistics, and educational studies.<\/p>\n The day concluded with a visit to the ABC, where the delegation was received by Ambassador Ruy Pereira and discussed the Agency\u2019s work, potential cooperation projects, and updates on S\u00e3o Tom\u00e9 and Pr\u00edncipe\u2019s presidency of the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP), a position it has held since 2023. The country is also part of the Global Coalition for School Feeding.<\/p>\n Finally, at the end of the visit, S\u00e3o Tom\u00e9 and Pr\u00edncipe shared its impressions of the mission and discussed the next steps for the PNASE, as well as the deepening of cooperation between the country and Brazil.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A delegation from S\u00e3o Tom\u00e9 and Pr\u00edncipe concludes a field…<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/centrodeexcelencia.org.br\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/IMG_9709-scaled.jpg\")
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