According to a press release issued to the Daily Observer by the World Food Programme (WFP), a total of 657 people ? 328 cooks, 282 people from the Learners Welfare Committees, 11 Head teachers, 4 deputies head teaches, 3 senior teachers and 29 cluster monitors have been trained on food and nutrition, health and hygiene.

The release states that the training, which took place from the 11 - 29 May 2009, was conducted by the United Nations World Food Programme in collaboration with the ministry of Basic and Secondary Education. This 18-days training was conducted in selected WFP-assisted schools countrywide, targeting 340 Lower Basic and Basic Cycle schools including Madrassas from Regions two to Six.

The release states: "To expand its partnership base, WFP invited other agencies including UNICEF to participate in the preparations leading to the training. Resource persons and facilitators for the training were drawn from the National Nutrition Agency (NaNA), the ministry of Health and Social Welfare and the ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, both at the central and regional levels, to ensure continuity, coherence and cohesiveness."

The objective of the training, the press release went on, was to enhance and develop the knowledge and skills of the participants on food and nutrition, including cooking demonstrations, health, hygiene and environmental sanitation practices, geared towards the provision of nutritionally balanced and bacteria-free meals for school children.

It added that research has shown that nutrition and health status are powerful influences on children's learning and how well they perform, in school. The release added: "children who lack certain nutrients in their diet and those who suffer from hunger, malnutrition and diseases do not have the same potential for learning as healthy and well nourished children."

Therefore, to break the monotony of the meals being prepared at the school level, the release continued, a Recipe Book 'The School Feeding Recipe Book', with varied recipes, was developed by WFP and it was used during the cooking demonstrations to improve the skills of the cooks. School heads and cooks were encouraged to use produce from school gardens, the maximum use of which will not only add the much needed nutrients but also enhance the flavour, improve the colour and palatability of the dishes.

This training, according to the release, was pat of a series of capacity building initiatives aimed at enhancing the capacity of stakeholders for effective management of the Food for Education Programme. "Other initiatives include, promotion of school gardens, de-worming of school children and training of Food Management Committees, among others." The release finally states  that as the largest provider of nutritious meals to the vulnerable school children, WFP, has launched a global campaign aimed at ensuring the world's 300 million undernourished children are educated.