The Mombasa County government has initiated a new school feeding programme dubbed ‘Food4Education’ with a view to attracting more children to school.
The programme was unveiled at the Pwani School for the mentally handicapped in Kisauni Sub County at ceremony attended by area Governor Abdulswamad Nassir and Founder and Executive Director Food4Education Wawira Njiru.
Governor Nassir welcomed the partnership and noted that the feeding programme is expected to improve the nutritional status of school children, as well as increase their enrolment, retention and completion rate in primary schools.
Nassir said the feeding programme in schools especially in poor urban suburbs is also aimed at preventing health risks among the school children.
He said the feeding programme will in the long run ensure that no child goes hungry in school.
He instructed the education department to immediately commence working with the public works to present the Bill of Quantities (BQ) needed for the school’s Dining hall construction.
The county chief promised to partner with the organization and committed to reduce the Sh 15 that was initially being paid for the program by Early Childhood Development (ECD) pupils to Sh 10.
“Once we are able to set up other kitchens, we will replicate the program in other parts of the county placing the ECD schools as priority,” he said.
Nyali MP Mohammed Ali who was also present promised to build more classes, buy a school bus, and put up a perimeter wall for security of the children and the first boarding school in Nyali constituency.
“We have the resources please find us a land to put up school facilities,” said the MP describing the new programme as good for the county’s educational development.
The Governor and the legislator pledged to work hand in hand for the growth of the county with their first agenda being “service provision to the people of Mombasa” as emphasized by the governor.
Ms Njiru stated that the feeding program provides for 175,000 children with lunch everyday including the Pwani School in Nyali.
“We are excited to partner with the Mombasa County Government to continue scaling up the school feeding program. We are looking forward to working with more schools to ensure that more children are getting nutritious meals,” she noted.
Ms Njiru says the meals delivered in schools will lead to improved nutrition, school attendance, performance and higher school transition rates.
She said the Food 4 Education program was founded in 2012 and focuses on providing high quality, nutritious meals to Kenyan public school children to improve their nutrition and education outcomes.
“We provide subsidized nutritious meals to primary school children to improve nutrition education outcomes,” said Njiru.
She says the program uses steam gas technology to cook which is most favorable for its benefits that comprise retaining more flavour of food and texture, preserves more nutrients, and easier clean ups.
By Fatuma Said
