Learning in day schools in Moiben Sub-county, Uasin Gishu, is expected to be sustainable following an initiative to provide free lunch for the learners, in 17 learning institutions in the area.
The area Member of Parliament (MP), Prof. Phyllis Bartoo, in collaboration with principals of day schools in Moiben Sub-county, rolled out a program dubbed Mama na Elimu, to provide free lunch from Monday to Saturday, during the school period.
The MP further noted that the initiative was aimed at reducing the high rate of inconsistency among students in attending classes due to lack of school fees and other family problems.
Bartoo added that the students face a dilemma between learning and helping their parents at home in looking for fees through hand to mouth jobs.
We had a sitting with the head teachers here in Moiben, to plan on how to provide food for students in pure day schools because many parents have retained their children at home because they are unable to raise both tuition fees and funds for meals,” she said.
Bartoo indicated that they analysed the situation that if they provide the learners with free lunch for six days a week, they will be able to enhance retention in school, in order to make learning sustainable and at the same time improve performance.
Additionally, upon successful implementation, the programme will also be rolled out in both day/boarding schools.
We will support them, to ensure they have lunch and when they return home in the evening, they may be able to help their parents, we want to ease the burden for parents, so that they send those students to school,” added Prof. Bartoo.
She called on parents to support the initiative by providing Sh 5,000 per year to support other expenses that the initiative cannot meet, noting that the amount can easily be raised by parents as compared to the initial Sh 12, 000 per year.
Prof. Bartoo noted that the initiative will give opportunity to students who could not go to school because they could not afford fees for meals and also enable headteachers to concentrate on teaching other than being distracted to look for food to sustain learning.
The MP pointed out that the programme roll-out will support the hundred percent transition of the government from primary to secondary school.
She affirmed that the programme is set to support about 6,000 students in pure day schools, further expressing confidence that the enrolment will go-up before the end of the year because it will attract many needy students from the neighbouring Sub counties and also those who had opted to stay at home because they could not raise fees.
In his remarks, St. Joseph’s Kapnasu Secondary School Principal, Mr. Moses Kipruto, commended the initiative which he said will sustain learners in school since meals are provided.
“The key issue is retention. No children will be sent home for fees for lunch, the children will concentrate, we will be left with enough time looking for financial resources to support other programmes,” he noted.
By Ekuwam Sylvester and Angela Silayo
