School Feeding Programs (SFPs) are beneficial in many ways because they address social needs and provide social safety nets in underdeveloped countries. Recently, SFPs not only provide food for schoolchildren, but also enhance educational efficiency and local development. Thus, SFPs are regarded as a package program of nutrition, education, and agricultural economic interventions for schoolchildren and their societies.
According to the final report of Millenium Development Goals (MDGs) by UN, extreme poverty has declined significantly over the last two decades. However, the number of people suffering from extreme poverty is rather increasing in Sub-Saharan Africa. In this regard, although school-aged children need continuous care and intervention like children under five years, these schoolchildren are left in blind spot in international community. Therefore, more accurate evaluation is required to lead to right approach for effective SFPs.
The purpose of this study was to find the effects of SFPs upon Sub-Saharan countries, focusing on Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania, and Malawi. Using the qualitative research approach, the research examined how SFPs influence the individuals, local communities, and countries in terms of ecological framework, and proposed methods to assess the operation in the region. This ecological model helped in understanding impacts from both micro-perspective and macro-perspective. This study mainly concentrated on the outcomes of MDGs and their effectiveness in four countries. To be specific, this research examined only four MDGs (Goal 1, 2, 3, and 7), instead of assessing all 8 Goals. The reason for choosing these four detailed goals was because these four MDGs have similar targets with SFPs: school-age children.
Consequently, the study evaluated that there was a significant achievement in Goal 2 and Goal 3 of MDGs. On the other hand, it was hard to see the effect for goals indirectly related to SFPs. According to the findings, MDGs had relevant effects since both SFPs and MDGs share common objectives. To sum up, focusing on the right target would result in the best outcomes for SFPs, and lead to enable the blueprint for economic development through the human resources. Using MDGs as indicators to evaluate SFPs distinguishes this study from previous studies. This study proposes to become a footstone for the future researchers, conducting researches on necessary elements of SFPs and their targets. Studies on sustainable and customized SFPs can be developed upon this study.