Over 36,000 young learners are set to benefit from a school feeding programme launched by the Kiambu County Government to mitigate against malnutrition as well as motivate the learners.
The Sh52 million programme that was launched by Governor James Nyoro will be rolled out in the entire 528 Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) centres across the county.
Learners will be served with nutritionally fortified hot porridge from Monday to Friday all year round through the programme which Nyoro said is well funded through collaborative partnership that will ensure sustainability.
He said they are in partnership with the Jomo Kenyatta University of Science and Technology (JKUAT) to make sure the enriched porridge flour is of high nutritive value to keep the learners healthy.
Nyoro was speaking in Murera, Juja Sub County, when opening a new block of Sh5million ECDE classrooms and lavatories.
“The porridge will be nutritious. It will be offered during weekdays and will boost learners’ attention in the classroom, reduce malnutrition as well as increase enrolment and retention rates. The programme will be sustainable, because it will be funded,” said Nyoro.
He said they have rolled out a massive ECD infrastructural facelift to improve the learning environment through the construction of classrooms, toilets and recruitment of additional teachers.
“We will open new ECDE centres to help reduce the distance to school for our young ones. Let’s make good use of the centres since we have also employed on permanent terms, about 1,200 trained ECDE teachers,” he said.
Parents lauded the feeding programme saying it would make learners go to school.
Loise Waithera, a teacher at Jacob Wells in Murera, said the porridge will not only motivate children to attend classes but will also go a long way in improving their health.
By Muoki Charles
