The Feeding Programme

The Namibian Government's Feeding Programme started this week. The stuff in the sacks is maize meal. Now the school has found some volunteers from the village, the maize meal can be made every day.

First the volunteers make a fire in a little mud house, built especially to cook the maize meal. 

They light the fire under the giant cooking pots and fill them with water. Once the water is boiling (which takes a long time to heat up), they pour in 1 and ½ sacks of maize meal which has milk powder and sugar already in it. 

It is cooked and stirred for about an hour and looks, and smells, delicious when it is ready. It reminds me of semolina pudding.

The youngest learners go first at 11.30 which is when school finishes for them. They queue up in a very orderly way (no pushing or shoving) and wait patiently for their plateful. The plates are washed before being given to the next person. Some learners bring their own plate. They eat the meal with their fingers.

All the younger learners have some, but not all the older learners. 

Some of the learners about to enjoy their food.