The Ghana School Feeding Programme has launched a new real-time digital platform aimed at ending persistent payment delays to caterers while improving transparency in the delivery of meals to schoolchildren across the country.
The system, known as School Connect, will pilot in more than 350 schools and is expected to transform how the programme monitors food delivery, student attendance and meals served.
The initiative is being rolled out in partnership with the World Food Programme and supported by the Korea International Cooperation Agency, which has provided 284 digital devices, including tablets and laptops, to support implementation.
Speaking at a training workshop in Aburi, Aurore Rusiga said the introduction of real-time data collection would strengthen planning, oversight and decision-making.
She explained that the platform would track enrolment, attendance, food deliveries and meals served at the school level, helping authorities detect challenges early and improve programme delivery.
National Coordinator of the Ghana School Feeding Programme, Fati Forgor, said the platform directly addresses long-standing weaknesses in the programme’s monitoring systems.
According to her, the new system will help authorities ensure caterers comply with approved menus while significantly reducing delays in payments through instant reporting and faster data processing.
Constance Baah said weak monitoring structures had contributed to inefficiencies in the past, stressing that the digital transition would improve budgeting and strengthen accountability.
Donghyun Lee also reaffirmed his organisation’s commitment to supporting Ghana’s digital transformation in social protection delivery.
The School Connect platform, first developed in 2020 and currently used in more than 20 countries, replaces paper-based reporting systems with digital tools designed to improve efficiency and accountability.
