Ziniare: A three-day workshop held in Ziniare from November 24 to 26 brought together regional and provincial education directors, canteen managers, and technical and financial partners to review the school canteen system for the 2024-2025 year and develop recommendations for enhanced efficiency.

According to Burkina Information Agency, the meeting provided a platform to evaluate the newly adopted centralized food procurement system, which replaced the previous decentralized approach in 2024. Participants assessed the overall operation of the program, updated data on community-run canteens, and identified critical strengths, weaknesses, and constraints.

The final report underscores several substantial challenges, such as insufficient financial resources for food transportation, inadequate allocations, lack of suitable storage facilities, and failures and delays by some suppliers.

To address these challenges, proposals include increased involvement of local communities, collaboration with agricultural services to boost local production, securing storage facilities, and early delivery of food supplies by August to ensure optimal storage before the school year begins in September.

Recommendations for menu diversification and the establishment of school fields and gardens were also made to improve the quality and continuity of food supplied to students.

The Minister of Basic Education and the Promotion of National Languages, Jacques Sosthene Dingare, who presided over the workshop's closing ceremony, highlighted the significance of school gardens as a sustainable feeding solution during the first term, pending further state support.

The workshop also aimed to promote best practices in canteen management by awarding the best locally-run canteens, thereby encouraging excellence and sustainability within the system. This assessment marks a crucial step towards optimizing school canteen operations and enhancing their role in supporting children's educational success.