NOA AND BAUCHI STATE MULTI SECTORIAL TEAM ON SCHOOL FEEDING PROGRAM COMMENCES COMMUNITY MOBILIZATION.

The National Orientation Agency (NOA) Bauchi State Directorate in-collaboration with the Multi Sectorial Team on School Feeding program set up by the Bauchi State Government commences community mobilization tour to all the 20 local Government Areas of Bauchi State to sensitize the public on the schools feeding program guidelines and mode of oparandum.
The Home Grown school Feeding program is one of the social investment initiative of the Federal Government in-collaboration with the State Government that will ensure safety net for the poor and eradicate malnutrition in school age children, while stimulating the State agricultural sector, the programme will run through the following principles.
1.  To improve school enrollment, reduce dropout rate, retention and completion.
2.  Improve child nutrition and health with a resultant improvement in learning  outcomes by providing one adequate meal per day.
3.  Increase local agricultural production by providing structural demand for agricultural produce.
4.  Create Jobs and improve family wellbeing.
5.  Vendors Recruitment.
¡.  Need for medical certificate from approved Government Hospital (compulsory).
¡¡.  Training of vendors after selection.
¡¡¡.  Kitting (cooking utensils)
¡v.  Registration of caterers after recruitment .
V.  Each caterer must open bank account with BVN.

Points of note on Recruitment.
¡.  Must be a community-base method
¡¡. The number of vendors per school is subject to the number of pupils to caterer ratio e.g 1:100 minimum and 1:150 maximum.
¡¡¡.  Recruitment of vendors to be driven by the State Government .
¡v.  Parties to consider during recruitment are current school based caterers, representatives from community women groups, parents, community leaders, and other key members within the community structure.

Criteria for recruitment 
¡.  Each caterer must provide a surety that can stand for him/ her in proof of commitment and conduct if recruited.
¡¡. Each caterer must live in the same vicinity where the school she/him will be providing services. 
¡¡¡.  Each caterer and his/her team members will require a health screening  and must be certified from a recognized government Hospital 
¡v.  Each caterer should be able to provide a clean environment where she/him will be storing his /her food.
V.  Caterers should be clustered into cooperatives groups to engage farmers cooperatives which can help to bring down overall cost of food.

6.  Biometrics information of the benefiting pupils.
A biometric exercise will carried out across the State.