Mahendra Phagwah, the Coordinator of the schools National Breakfast Programme on Tuesday announced that he had resigned from the post several weeks ago.
In a post on his Facebook page he said: “It is with a heavy heart full of gratitude, I wish to share that a few weeks ago, I resigned and will be stepping away from my role as Coordinator of the National Breakfast Programme and from the Ministry of Education, as I move up the ladder into a new role in the international development sphere where I will continue to serve and contribute to national development in a greater capacity”.
He said that in November 2021, he joined the Breakfast Programme when it was still a pilot programme in a few schools and added that he is deeply grateful to then Education Minister Priya Manickchand, who took a leap of faith in him and trusted him with the opportunity to help lead the programme.
He said that he was fortunate to complete his BA, MBA, and MPM while serving.
“I am proud to have been part of the growth of a programme that today provides breakfast to 53,000 beneficiaries daily. I am especially grateful for the 408 caterers recruited by the Regions, Schools, and NGOs/CDCs. Many of them have used this opportunity to provide for their families, grow their businesses, and change their lives”, he said.
He said that there were challenges.
“One of the greatest was always trying to provide a highly nutritious meal within a budget. In 2022, we worked with $200 to cover breakfast and a juice per child. Today, even at $280 (breakfast+juice), it remains challenging but the determination to ensure access to a meal in school remains paramount”, he added.
In October last year, Phagwah denied a claim of widespread disparities in the meals served at East Coast Demerara schools.
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