Gertrude Quashigah, the national co-ordinator of the Ghana School Feeding Programme (GSFP), has said providing nutritiously balanced meals for pupils under the School Feeding Programme is the topmost priority of the government.
She said that a good meal not only makes children healthier and happier, but also improves their cognitive learning capacities.
Dr Quashigah was speaking at the official launch of the “Go For Soya Chunks” campaign in Accra, organised by the American Soybean Association (ASA) and the World Initiative for Soy in Human Health (WISHH) in collaboration with the YEDENT Agro Group of Companies.
The event was to promote texturised soya protein (TSP), also known as soya chunks, as an alternative source of protein for school and household meal preparation. TSP is produced in Ghana from locally grown soya.
Dr Quashigah, an international nutrition expert, is credited for her visionary leadership in adopting the use of texturised soya protein in 2019 as an affordable and nutritious plant source with high protein for preparation of school meals by the GSFP caterers.
Novel nutrition training
She subsequently came out with the novel and practical nutrition and innovation training course for GSFP caterers with the support of the World Food Programme and technical support from the YEDENT Agro Group of Companies, Partnership for Child Development (PCD) and Women In Agricultural Development (WIAD) in 2019.
She said her outfit embraced TSP and she strongly recommended that all caterers of the programme adopt it, because she knows the enormous benefits it offers to the life and development of schoolchildren.
TSP/the soya chunk is an excellent source of high-quality protein which is rich in vitamins, minerals, insoluble fibre and essential amino acids, among other benefits.
Dr Quashigah therefore appealed to the YEDENT Agro Group of Companies, producers of soya chunks, to make them available and accessible in all the districts nationwide for use by caterers and households.
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