BIG Pilot Project - Assessment Report - BIG Coalition Namibia

2.11 Education“There is a tremendous change [since the introductionof the BIG]. The children come to school clean,on time and well fed. When it is break time wesend the children back home to eat and they nowcome back on time. In the past, when we sent themhome, most of them never returned...because theparents did not have food to give them and thereforethey could not return back. Before the Basic IncomeGrant things were really bad and it was difficultto teach the children. Now they concentratemore and pay more attention in class. They aregenerally happy because they have enough to eatat home.”Likewise, the teachers at the primary school pointedout that:“Learners used to come to school with empty stomachsbut now this is no longer the case. Before[BIG] the learners did not concentrate in class dueto hunger but now they are more energetic and concentratemore, thus there are better results now.”“Learnersused tocome toschool withempty stomachsbutnow this isno longerthe case. Before(BIG)the learnersdid not concentrateinclass due tohunger butnow theyare more energeticandconcentratemore, thusthere arebetter results.”Photo 20: School performance and attendance improved after theBIG69