Members of the National Association of Domestic Bursars and Matrons (NADBAM) are meeting at Ofori Panin Senior High School (OPASS) in Akyem Kukurantumi of the Eastern Region to build the capacity of Matrons for the inclusion of soybeans meals into the menu for students in Senior High Schools in the country to improve the quality of flood serve the students.
Soya beans are made up of 38% protein, 20% fat, 12% carbohydrate, 18% fiber, and 8% water. The other 4% are made up of other substances including vitamins and minerals. Soya beans are a rich source of vitamins and minerals such as potassium, phosphorous, magnesium, calcium, iron, zinc, vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, B5, E, and folic acid, therefore considered highly nutritious.
The President of the National Association of Domestic Bursars and Matrons (NADBAM) Magerete Asamoah therefore believes adding Soybeans regularly to the menu of the students will improve the nutrition of the meals.
The decision by the association to incorporate Soybeans to the schools’ menu comes few weeks after the Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools (CHASS) raised serious concerns over the challenges facing the schools in serving students quality meals as a result of poor quality and low quantity of food supply by National Buffer stock company.
Addressing the participants on the theme for the workshop “incorporating locally produced food into Free SHS feeding; the role of Domestic Bursars and Matrons” the President of the Association urged the Matrons to think outside the box and use locally produced seasonal food crops in their respective regions to cook for the students to help improvise with the little resources available.
She said this will not only relieve the schools from financial stress but will also increase the nutritional value chain of meals prepared for the students since the raw local foods are more nutritious than refined foods imported, adding that, it would also boost the government’s flagship Program – Planting for Food and Jobs.
Present at the opening ceremony was Akyem Tafohene -Osabarima Adusei Peasah, the Deputy Education Minister Gifty Twum Ampofo, and the Municipal Chief Executive for Abuakwa North Owusu Twum Ampofo.
Source: Mybrytfmonline.com/Obed Ansah
