VULNERABLE school children and orphans in Machinjiri, Blantyre can now eat decent lunch, thanks to the establishment of a feeding centre by a Catholic organisation Drug Resource Enhancement against Aids and Malnutrition (DREAM) in the township.

DREAM, which is part of the Community of St Egidio, has spent K80 million in establishing the feeding centre. The feeding centre has capacity to cater for 2000 children but according to DREAM country director Elard Alumando, they will start with a number less than 2,000ged children.

Alumando said this last Friday during the official opening of the centre.

"This is the centre that can accommodate up to 2000 children every day. When it is fully in operation we can feed 2000    school    going children," said Alumando said.

The centre has been built near South Lunzu Primary School where children before going home they can go for lunch and some entertainment South Lunzu Primary School headteacher Master Kachulu said the establishment of the centre would discourage absenteeism. He said the school has 2254 pupils of which 320 are orphans.

President of Community of St. Egidio Professor Mark Impagliazo said the community is assisting over 30,000 children worldwide.

"Children must be fed to protect them from diseases, the centre would help the children in terms of nutrition," Impagliazo said.

Archbishop Tarcizius Ziyaye of the Blantyre Archdiocese of the Roman Catholic Church said the centre would bpnefit poor children.

"This facility would act as an instrument for education as education is a key to the country's development' said Ziyaye.