‘Kiren Sapiri Dayak’ Nutrition programme for schoolchildren inaugurated by President

By Sandun A Jayasekera

‘Kiren Sapiri Dayak’, the national programme  aimed at providing a packet of liquid milk to every primary studentisland-wide, was inaugurated under the patronage of President Maithripala Sirisena yesterday (23).   

The programme launched under the Grama Shakthi People’s Movement together with the Education, Health Ministries and the Livestock Department and many other public and private stakeholders aims to provide a packet of liquid milk to around 600,000 selected primary school students island-wide.   

To mark the inauguration President Sirisena symbolically handed over milk packets to a group of students at Kajugaswatte Shasthrodaya Vidyalaya in Nivithigala, Ratnapura.   
Speaking on the occasion the Principal of Shasthrodaya Vidyalaya Mr. Waruna Kumara said he and his students were pleased that their school has been chosen as the venue of this important event.   
“This programme will be helpful to address the nutritional issue among students which is commonly prevalent in the area,” Mr. Kumara said. It will also be a boost to maintain regular attendance, he added.   
Students were taught how to dispose of the milk packets once they consumed their contents and on how to collect them for recycling.   

The programme under President Sirisena’s concept of creating a ‘nutritious young generation of a nation bountiful with milk,’ is coupled with a plan to boost local milk production by providing incentives to dairy farmers.   

The Cabinet of Ministers has approved a Cabinet Paper presented by the President and allocated Rs. 1,000 million to initiate the programme through which out of 1.7 million schoolchildren in Grades 1 to 5, more than half a million will receive a sachet of milk each on school days.   

Under this Private Public Partnership (PPP) programme, small and middle level entrepreneurs in villages will be able to set up milk production units at village level with the support of the private sector.   

The school milk programme is to be augmented by the Grama Shakthi village empowerment programme. It is proposed to provide 15,000 cattle to 7,500 villagers to ensure a continuous milk supply. Private sector companies that will produce the sachets will enter into buy-back agreements with the Grama Shakthi village units.   

The Grama Shakthi People’s movement aims at empowering people by initiating joint ventures between the village committees and private sector companies. Initially, the government will provide funds to village committees for technological support and buyback arrangements with the private sector. Once the project is launched, the Government will not intervene and it will be entirely the duty of the village committees to carry on with the project and help people reap the benefits.   

• The Cabinet allocated Rs. 1,000 million to initiate the programme in which of the 1.7 million schoolchildren in Grades 1 to 5, more than half a million will receive a sachet of milk each on school days

Milk production is expected to increase with the additional demand for milk. The current production is around one third of the requirement and the balance is met with imported milk powder. More than 100,000 metric tonnes of powdered milk is imported annually at a cost of over US$ 380 million.   

The school milk programme has multiple aims as it envisages increasing the nutrition level of children in the country and making Sri Lanka self-sufficient in liquid milk by strengthening the local dairy industry.   

The school milk programme is to be augmented by the Grama Shakthi village empowerment programme