Thousands of caterers under the Ghana School Feeding Programme have petitioned the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, demanding a reversal of what they describe as the abrupt and unfair termination of their contracts.
Speaking to Joy News, PRO of the Caterers Adizatu Ankrah, expressed frustration after receiving a letter dated May 2, which unexpectedly ended their contracts despite a previous understanding that they would run until August.
The caterers argue that many of them had already pre-financed food items in preparation for the third term and are now left with significant debt and unused supplies.
Approximately 34,000 caterers are believed to be affected by the termination, with many facing serious financial hardship, prompting Madam Adizatu, speaking to the press after submitting a petition at the Gender Ministry, to plead with government officials to allow them to complete their contracts and recover their investments.
She stressed that many of the caterers are single mothers and widows whose livelihoods depend on the programme.
“We can’t bear this debt. Some of us are single parents and widows,” she said. “We’re only asking to be allowed to cook with the food we’ve already bought for this term, then we’ll step aside for others to take over.”
Receiving the petition on behalf of the Minister, Chief Director Dr. Afisah Zakariah assured the caterers that their concerns would be relayed to the appropriate authorities and urged them to remain calm as the government reviews the issue.
The Ghana School Feeding Programme, launched in 2005, currently serves approximately 1.69 million children across the country and employs over 20,000 caterers and cooks and aims to improve nutrition, support education, and stimulate local agricultural production.
The caterers fear that the sudden policy shift could disrupt not only their livelihoods but also the continuity of the programme for schoolchildren across the country.
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Source: Comfort Sweety Hayford/ATLFMNEWS
