Kenya is set to launch the largest school meals program in Africa, aiming to provide daily lunches for 4mn primary school children in an effort to combat hunger and improve education outcomes, the Guardian reported.
The initiative, scheduled to begin in Nairobi this August, is a collaboration between the Nairobi County government and Food4Education, a Kenyan non-profit organization.
The program will commence with the construction of ten new kitchens, which will employ 3,500 people and serve 400,000 meals each day to children in 225 primary schools and Early Childhood Development centers in the Kenyan capital. The total cost of the initiative is estimated at $8.6mn. Food4Education already supplies meals to 150,000 primary school children in Nairobi and has been chosen as a partner for this ambitious project.
Malnutrition remains a significant issue in Kenya, with Save The Children reporting that 26% of children in the country suffer from stunted growth due to inadequate nutrition. The launch of this program aims to address this problem and eliminate the shame associated with hunger. During the program's inauguration on June 20, President William Ruto emphasized the importance of eradicating hunger and ensuring the successful implementation of the school feeding initiative.
“We must eliminate the shame of hunger in our country. We will be deliberate and focused on ensuring the successful implementation of the school feeding programme. The greatest indignity is for our children to go to school and fast because of lack of food,” the president of Kenya stated.
The government has allocated $36m to extend the existing national feeding program from 1.6mn children to 4mn but promised to increase the allocation of more counties committed funding.
“We are going to match counties who have a plan on school feeding programme, shilling for shilling, and if we do that we can actually feed 8mn children in our schools,” the president added.
Suzanne Silantoi, the county executive of Nairobi city county, highlighted the close connection between nutrition and learning. She believes that the school feeding program will not only enhance attendance and performance in public schools but also help alleviate child hunger, a significant obstacle to school enrollment in Kenya.
Food4Education, founded in 2012 by Kenyan nutritionist Wawira Njiru, initially aimed to provide meals for 100 children but has since expanded its reach. Njiru's childhood experiences of poverty and inequality inspired her to offer affordable and nutritious lunches to school children from impoverished backgrounds. The partnership between Food4Education and the city government of Nairobi will significantly increase the number of children served daily, potentially reaching 400,000 meals. Njiru hopes to achieve her long-term goal of feeding 1mn children per day with the assistance of additional partnerships.
The new kitchens for the school meals program will utilize green energy, employing steam gas technology and eco-briquettes. Additionally, technology will play a crucial role in the initiative. Each child will be provided with a wristband called Tap2Eat, linked to a virtual wallet that parents can use to pre-pay $0.11 for each meal. This system fosters parental involvement and enables them to track their child's attendance. The county government will also subsidize the cost of each meal, with parents contributing $0.036 and the government providing an additional $0.18. Silantoi further added that the county government will have a budget of $8.6m set aside annually for the school feeding program.
The collaboration between Food4Education and the Nairobi county government will not only benefit the children but also generate employment opportunities and create a market for local farmers.
“In this particular project, we will involve the communities and employ about 2,000 people, as well as provide a market for the food produced in the communities, which will improve their economic outcomes,” said Silantoi.
With the launch of this ambitious school meals program, Kenya is taking significant steps to combat child hunger, improve education outcomes, and enhance the overall well-being of its future generations.
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