BY Peter Lokale Nakimangole
MAGWI, 04 march 2010 (Gurtong) – Radio Emmanuel 89 FM has established that pupils have abandoned Loolim, Kalacha, Kaldo primary and other hunger stricken schools in the rural areas of Narus County of Eastern Equatoria state.
According to the Radio, Director General of Education in the Eastern Equatoria state ministry of Education, science and technology, Mr. James Amoko, many schools in the state have not opened since the beginning of this year due to lack of food.
Catholic Relief Services (CRS) supplied food to primary schools in Ikotos, Narus, Budi, Kapoeta East, Magwi and Torit Counties under the school feeding programme before its stores dried up, at the end of last year. Mr. Amoko explains that CRS, a development partner in Education under taking the feeding programme has run out of food to supply the affected schools, for the present quarter.
Mr. Amoko says the food crisis affecting CRS beneficiary schools started last year and World Food Programme took over after a meeting with the bosses of the two agencies but the continuity of the project has failed, this year.
The Director appeals to committed aid agencies that have food to bail out his ministry, as the government has no resources to implement school feeding programmes.
Mr. Amoko calls on World Food Programme to bridge the gap left by CRS because the state does not have any other source food for the school feeding programme. Efforts by Radio Emmanuel 89 fm to reach CRS and WFP officials for comments over the matter proved fruitless.