There is ‘Free Lunch’ and other complementary services courtesy of Tourism in Meatu District

‘No Free Lunch Right?’ Well, Wrong! There are free meals in Meatu.

Nearly 900 school pupils inMeatu District of Simiyu Region are now being provided with free midday meals in a special program implemented by two tourism and conservation entities in the precinct.

At least 856 pupils of the Makao Primary School will from now henceforth be taking lunch during afternoon classbreaks and on daily basis, courtesy of the Friedkin Conservation Fund (FCF).

The Meatu School Meal Project is being implemented through the Mwiba Holdings Limited which runs tourism activities in the adjacent conservancy.

Launching the school feeding program, the Meatu District Commissioner, Fauzia Ngatumbura, said the firms have reportedly pledged monthly budgets amounting to 20.5 million/- after every four week to ensure that the school gets the required food supplies.

She thanked the benefactors, saying the program complemented the country’s initiative to ensure that children get nutritious food both at home and in school.

“With assured meals to beat those pangs of hunger in class, chances are the academic performance of pupils will improve alongside their class attention,” the District Commissioner maintained.

But food goes with cooking, which again calls for a facility to that effect and the FCF together with Mwiba had to fork out 28.1 million/ – in the construction of the school kitchen.

And just in case water becomes scarce, the tourism entities saw to it that the learning institution is also equipped with a special rain precipitation harvesting system installed at the school.

The special rain water structure at the Makao Primary was set up at the cost of 30.8 million/-, according to the officials.

A similar rainwater harvesting system was previously also established at Makao the Secondary School in the area.

Aurelia Mtui, is the Projects Manager of Friedkin Tanzania, and together with Sylvester Bwasama, the Community Development Projects Manager said the firm is executing more community development projects in 25 villages in the area.

They are part of the Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives of Mwiba Holdings Limited and Tanzania Game Tracker Safaris are conducting tourism and hospitality business within the Meatu District in sync with conservation programs.

The firms have so far built teachers quarters and two classrooms for Mwajimoso Primary School in the Mwambagimu Village.

They have also been setting up ranger posts to aid wildlife protection.

Using mostly their properties, Mwiba and TGT have been rolling out practical training schemes for hotel management for students as well as other young people undertaking studies in the hospitality industry.

The Chairman of Meatu District Council, Anthony Philipo, said such projects have been implemented via cordial cooperation between investors and local villages based on the joint conservation efforts through the Makao Wildlife Management Area.

The Head Teacher at Makao Primary School, Mwalimu John Saganda, said the feeding program came with equipping the institution kitchen with cutleries, including cooking utensils, plates and spoons valued at 3.7 million/-