In Senegal, 31% of child deaths are caused by malnutrition and 75% of children have an insufficiently varied diet. Malnutrition has multiple impacts on their lives and their future development, and poses a significant obstacle to their learning capacities. This phenomenon is due to families’ lack of resources, but also to poor understanding of good eating habits and limited access to healthy, nutritious foods.
The Alija project is testing a central kitchen system and mobile canteens in three schools in the rural municipality of Gandon, in the north of Senegal. The project aims to ensure access for pupils to breakfasts made from local products. Many children from disadvantaged areas come to school with an empty stomach, which leads to a considerable increase in the risk of malnutrition and learning difficulties.
School canteens in Senegal generally prioritise the construction of infrastructure that is costly to install and maintain. The system proposed by the project can become sustainable more easily, thanks to its lower costs. The benefit of mobile canteens resides in the minimisation of investment costs, because the majority of schools do not have a kitchen or refectory. This system is therefore particularly well suited to small schools in rural areas.
The project is focusing on short supply chains for local agroecological products, which is made possible through the various potentialities offered by the Saint-Louis region, notably millet, maize, cowpea, milk, and a range of fruit and vegetables. It will also highlight market-gardening initiatives for professional integration of women, supported by Agora. These initiatives can supply products to the central kitchen.
Alija also aims to test the creation of pedagogical gardens. The objective is to train teachers and pupils in the fundamentals of agroecological market-gardening. These gardens will be used to initiate them to market-gardening practices and to raise pupils’ and parents’ awareness.
The Saint-Louis region Schools Inspection office and the National Council for Development of Nutrition will be involved in the project via the training delivered to teachers and the actions to raise pupils’ awareness on nutrition. GRET and Agora will actively participate in the work of the Multi-sectoral group on food and nutrition in schools (GMSANE), contributing to support for advocacy in favour of State support for school canteens.
